Jackie aka Swifty
by YumKiwiDelicious
Summary: Jackie Rivers gets sent to Camp Green Lake and just expects to be harrassed. But maybe a paranoid blonde will show her there's more to CGL than meets the eye. zigzag luvv! NOW COMPLETE!
1. Jackie's fine

**Yes, tis another -slightly cliché- "girl goes to CGL" fic. But go easy on me, huh.  
this story is mostly ZigZag love fyi!**

**Enjoy!**

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**CHAPTER 1:**

**--Jackie--**

A ten hour drive out into the middle of nowhere, cuffed to the seat of an ancient ass bus that smelled like piss. These people had got to be kidding me. So I'd one something the community clarified as _wrong. _So what! What happened to a little thing called mercy? Spare the rod and spoil the child why don't ya?

Ok so I wasn't exactly I child. I'd passed my sixteenth birthday three months ago, but still. I felt this was a bit extreme for a minor theft. It was minor in my mind at least. Apparently that museum didn't share my views.

I sighed and rolled my head over to the side, letting my dark brown hair fall across my face.

"Are we almost there?" I questioned the driver once more. He shot me a glare in the rearview mirror which I returned with a sly grin and a slight tilt of my head. He huffed in annoyance and turned his eyes back to the desert road.

"Well someone needs to lighten up!" I said innocently, "I don't wanna mention names but…I think you know who I'm talkin' about."

"You just pipe down!" the man snapped at me. I raised my middle finger to his back in response. This ride officially sucked ass.

* * *

**--The D-Tent Boys--**

"Alright campers I've got an important announcement for y'all!" Pendanski said loudly as he walked into D-Tent.

"What is it this time, moms?" X-Ray groaned turning over onto his stomach.

"Yea and it better not be that Armpit's gettin his shower tokens takin away again!" Magnet called from the back of the room, on top of his cot. There was a chorus of grumbled agreements as none of them pothered to pay any real attention.

"No, Jose, its nothing like that," the skinny man assured them, "you'll be getting a new camper in your tent today."

At this everyone in the tent looked up.

"But why?" Squid asked from his spot by the entrance, "we just got Caveman in here. We don't have a cot for another guy to be in here."

"Well you'll all just have to find it in your hearts to make room, this camper is a very special one."

"Why? What'd he kill someone, or something?" Zigzag asked, looking around suspiciously.

"No nothing like that." Pendanski said simply. "Now the bus will be arriving in a few minutes. I want you all to act as if you've got some manners and make a good impression."

"Whatever, mom, we'll be there," X-Ray said, not bothering to move from his relaxed position.

"Get up and come outside to meet your new tent mate…now."

After a collective groan from everyone but Zero they all trudged out into the hot sun just as the bus came into view.

* * *

**--Jackie--**

The bus came to a screeching halt and I sighed in relief. Out of the stinky bus and into the stinky camp…well stealers cant be choosers I suppose.

The driver lurched the door open and shot me a look in the mirror. "Get out!" he growled.

I raised my hands as far as I could with the cuffs and waved at him.  
"Unless you're expecting me to turn into the Hulk and rip this seat out, I think we've come to a dilemma."

He growled again before hopping out of his seat. He stalked down the aisle until he reached my seat. Grabbing my wrist roughly he stuck the key in and unlocked the cuffs. Yanking them off he returned to his seat and stared straight forward.  
I rolled my eyes as I massaged my sore wrists. Grabbing my bag I got up and walked toward the front. Just before stepping down the stairs I turned to him.

"I will sincerely miss the time we spent together," I said, feigning heart-break. "You…*I hesitated for dramatic effect*…are the only bus driver for me. Farewell!"

I jumped the three steps before he could lash out at me and it was like diving directly into the sun itself. The filth and grime on the bus windows had done a pretty good job of blocking the light, but now I was out in the open. And temporarily blinded. I threw up my hand to cover my eyes just as I heard a man talking off to my right.

"Boys, meet your new tent-mate, Jacqueline Rivers." the man said, in a voice to whiny for my taste.

"Uh, Jackie's fine," I corrected, blinking against the harsh light still. Finally my eyes adjusted and I lowered my hand. Standing off to my right was -I assumed- the man who had announced me. He had on a large floppy hat, shorts, and held a clipboard in front of him. Directly in front of me stood a line of boys, all around my age, dressed in orange jumpsuits. They all looked a bit surprised to see me. i shared the feeling.

"Let me introduce myself," said the man in the floppy hat, "I'm Mr. Pendanski, your tent counselor. You'll be in D-Tent. D stands for diligence. These," he gestured to the boys, "are the boys of D-Tent." he pointed them each out as he listed them. "There's Rex, Theodore, Alan, Ricky, Jose, Stanley, and Zero."

I glanced back and forward between the guys and the man. Then I flashed him my _well-this-was-fascinating_ smile and pushed my hair back behind my ears.

"Great…now where are the _girls _of D-Tent?"

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**ok so thats the end of chapter one! reveiws make me smile. no flames please. constructive critisism is welcomed but just being straight up rude is a waste of everyones time. ok thats it!**

**thanks for reading!  
_~monie_**


	2. Dont spook the crazy

**yayyayay its time for chapter 2! Thanks so much for the reviews! Hope to get more for this chapter!enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 2:**

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**--Zigzag--  
****  
**I watched the girl who had hopped off the bus closely. She was probably some secret agent from a government organization. That's the only reason they would ever send a girl to Camp Green Lake. I checked her up and down for anything odd. She was pretty average looking to me though. Probably 5'4 at best, slender with dark brown eyes and hair. Pale skin that would probably burn in this sun. I smirked at that idea and turned to leave. Back to the tent for me.

"Great..." she said, "now where are the _girls_ of D-Tent?" I turned to face her now as all the other guy except Zero busted out laughing. I didn't think a spy in our mists was anything to laugh about.

"Chica there aint no other girls here but you," Jose said when he caught his breath. The girls eyes went big and she turned to Mom.

"What the hell, man?! I'm the only girl here?!" she hollered in anger._ As if she didn't already know that,_ I thought.

"Please calm down, Jacqueline. I'll explain everything to once we get to the office."

"Screw you I'm not staying here! What if one of these dudes tries to rape me?! No thank you, I'm going home!" she turned and started walking in the direction the bus had driven off in.  
This spy was clever. Trying to make us think she didn't want to be here. Very sneaky.

"You wont get far before your buzzard food!" Squid yelled after her. She just raised her middle finger to him and kept walking.

"Well this is just perfect!" Mom said before glancing at us. "I'm counting on you boys to stop her."

"How the hell we s'pose to do that?" said Armpit, watching her get smaller. I rolled my eyes and stepped forward. Tapping Squid on the shoulder I nodded towards Jacqueline and shrugged.

"Thank you boys!" Mom yelled after us as we took off after Jackie.

* * *

**--Jackie--**

I had barely made it ten yards and was already starting to sweat. This heat was intense! Reaching into my knapsack I yanked got my water bottle. Empty. Growling in frustration I tossed it to the dry ground and kept walking.

"Why is it so hot?!" I yelled at the sky.

"Because we don't get no rain," someone said behind me. Jumping badly I spun around and saw two of the D-Tent boys.

"You stay away from me." I warned continuing to walk, while keeping an eye on them. The tallest one came to stand in front of me, effectively blocking my path. Bending my head back I glared at him from beneath my hand.

"Move."

"Not till you turn around and go back to camp," he said crossing his long arms across his chest. Under different circumstances I might have found him pretty cute, but right now he was just a pain in my ass. A kind of cute pain in my ass. _Focus Jackie!_

"I'm not going back to that home for molesters, now get out of my way!"

"If you say so," he stepped aside, clearing a path for me. I was shocked because I hadn't expected him to give in so easily.

"Uh…thanks," I mumbled taking a step forward. I eyed him suspiciously, but when he didn't try to stop me I kept moving. _Suckers!_

Suddenly a pair of strong arms grabbed me around the waist and hoisted me into the air. I struggled and kicked as the tall blonde threw me over his shoulder and turned back towards the camp. I'd dropped my bag when he grabbed me and the other guy picked it up and started following us.

"Stop! Stop it! Put me down you big ape!"

"You cant fool me you spy," he said very seriously. _Oh great, a crazy!_

"Put me down!" I pounded on his back with my small fists but it wasn't doing anything good.

"Nope," he readjusted me on his shoulder and kept moving.

"Ugh! Fine! Ok! I'll go back to camp, but I can walk there myself!"

Without warning he yanked me off his shoulder and placed me down in front of him. This guy was strong! He glared down at me, with his hands on my shoulders.

"If you try to run you wont get far," he threatened. I nodded my understanding and tried -unsuccessfully- to shake him off.

"Jeez is he always like this?" I asked the shorter guy with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. He was walking off to my right holding my bag.

"Zigzag's crazy, girly," he said laughing, "I wouldn't mess with him if I were you."

I eyed _Zigzag _out of the corner of my eye. I would have to be careful with him. Don't-spook-the-crazy!

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**Ok that was chapter two! Not a lot happened but ill probably update again within the next two days! Thanks so much to everyone who read my first chapter and to di14 and Ebony Bowie for actually reviewing!**

**Thanks for reading!**

_**~monie**_


	3. It's a labor

**Yay 3****rd**** times a charm! Ok I totally said within the next few days didn't I :D same day! I just love writing this story and I don't like holding my stories for review ransom so here ya go!**

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**CHAPTER 3:**

**--Jackie--**

"Well it's good to have you back," Pendanski said when we arrived back to the spot where the bus had dropped me off.

"Yea whatever, let's just get this over with," I grumbled wriggling out of Zigzag's grasp. He let me go and wiped his hand on the front of his shirt. _Well excuse me, I'm not the one covered in filth!_

Pendanski nodded and gestured for me to follow him. "Your public awaits my queen." He chuckled at his own joke and I just rolled my eyes. D stands for delusional in my book from now on.

After thanking the other boy for caring my bag and shooting a glare at Zigzag, I followed Pendanski to a wooden cabin a ways away. Upon entering I was greeted with the smell of stale cigarettes and saw a man sitting behind a cluttered desk. He had on a leather cowboy hat and thick soled cowboy boots. He sat spitting sunflower seeds into a mug and glaring at the world. Pleasant fellow I guessed.

"This here's the new camper, Jacqueline Rivers." Pendanski said waving at me.

"I actually prefer Jackie," I grumbled glancing around the tiny cabin. It was dirty and smelled even worse then the bus. What'd these people wallow around in there feces all day?!

"Well I like to refer to you by the name your parents-" Pendanski started, but Mr. Sunflower-Seed cut him off.

"Zip it, Pendanski," he grunted, pushing himself from his seat. "You," he nodded at me, "you're the first girl inmate to be brought here since this place started. Just because your lackin' a few parts the other campers have don't mean you'll be gettin any special treatment. You're gonna have the same rules as everyone else and'll have to do just as much work. Now follow me," he walked out of the cabin, into the hot sun.

I nodded begrudgingly and followed him into the dust. Rubbing my nose I kept my distance as he walked to another room of the cabin.

"You'll have two sets of clothes," he said grabbing a hideous orange jumpsuit. "One will be you work clothes, and the other is for relaxation. After three days your work clothes'll be washed and your relaxation clothes will become your work clothes."

"Is that even _slightly_ sanitary?" I questioned sarcastically as he passed me the first jumpsuit. Clutching the end for a second he tossed the other one at me and moved to the other side of the room.

"Everyday you will wake-up at 4:30a.m. to have breakfast and head out to your digging site-"

"4:30, are you insane?!" He continued as if I hadn't interrupted.

"You will dig a five by five foot hole. Five feet deep, five feet in diameter." He raised his hand and held up his five fingers as if I couldn't count. "Use your shovel as your measurin stick."

He stood quietly after that, watching me stand in the middle of the room. I looked around and then back at him. Clearly I was missing something.

"What're we waiting for?" I asked, sincerely confused.

"I'm waitin for you to change into your relaxation clothes," he replied roughly. My eyes widened and I put my hands on my hips.

"Keep dreaming buddy, I'm not changing right here in front of you!" I snapped as bitchely as I could manage. His glare only grew deeper as he turned to face the wall. I still wasn't happy about all this, but I guessed this would be as lucky as I would get during my stay here.

Stripping down quickly to my underwear, bra, and a tank top I slipped into the jumpsuit and didn't tell him to turn around until I had it zipped up all the way. "Ok, I'm decent."

"Good," he grunted turning to me, "the holes have already been dug today so you'll start tomorrow-"

"Oh darn, and I was so looking forward to the manual labor." He glared at me and picked up my bag as we headed out the room.  
He tossed it to a passing camper. "Search this."

"Woah, woah! Hold on a sec!" I rushed over and grabbed the end of my bag, but the boy wouldn't let go. "He cant go through my bag!" I wouldn't be able to survive here if they sniffed out my ipod and magazines. I doubted those sort of things were allowed here.

"Why not? What you got in there?" the cowboy asked suspiciously.

"Uh…girl products!" Genius! _Ladies and gentlemen hold your applause please!_

The camper immediately dropped his end of the bag and backed away. The man grunted and started to walk away. "Fine, but you better not started any trouble."

I followed suit. "No sir, Mr.…" I let the sarcastic remark hang, waiting for him to chime in with his name.

"Sir," he said simply.

"I'm sorry?"

"My name is Mr. Sir."

"You can't be serious," I laughed, placing a hand over my mouth. He stopped abruptly and I bumped into him. Turning he gave me a grimly serious face.

"I am, and you will refer to me by my name with the proper amount of respect durin your stay at Camp Green Lake. Do I make myself clear?"

I was caught off guard. "Yes, Mr. Sir." He nodded and flashed a yellow toothed, crooked smile. Well his charm was certainly spotless, but I thought he could maybe get a better dental plan.

* * *

**--Zigzag--**

I stared up at the top of the tent from the spot on my cot. I was glad the spy knew I was on to her. Now she knew that she couldn't get the drop on me. Maybe she'd give up and leave so I could go back to having a semi peaceful life…or maybe she'd be more motivated than ever and think up new ways to weasel information out of me! Damn her! She was clever. Too clever.

The other guys were actually _excited _about having her here! Poor fools. They'd fall right into her well lain trap and then it'd just be me left. To fight her off and save the day. Of course.

"Man you know how long its been since I been round a girl?" Armpit said from the other side of the tent. _Bet you haven't been around a spy in some time either._

"I know, huh," Magnet agreed, "I bet she's crazy though." _Almost my friend, almost._

"Man, I don't care as long as she's crazy in bed!" X exclaimed laughing loudly. _Jerk._

"Please, like she's wanna get with you, four eyes," Squid snapped, "she's proly just itchin for a nice boy like me to scratch her up!" _Idiot._

"Come on guys, she's a person," that was Caveman of course, "she probably just wants to serve her time and go home." Stanley was a good kid, but he was naïve. Naïve and blind.

Of course Zero didn't say anything, and no one bothered to ask his opinion.

"Shut up, Caveman, you borin as hell," Armpit replied, "hey what about you Zigzag?" I froze at the mention of my name. Old habit. "Whatchu think of her?"

Glaring up at the ceiling I stayed silent until I sat up and moved from my cot. "She cant be trusted," I said quietly. They all stared at me like I was crazy, but I was used to that. I went to leave the tent but when I opened the tent flap I found Mom and Jackie standing there. Jackie ran straight into me, her head bouncing off my chest. _Damn she's short._

"Oh, I'm sor-" she started to apologize, but then she recognized me from earlier and her face grew dark.

"Oh, it's you," she huffed, brushing her hair out of her face. I rolled my eyes and retreated back to my cot.

"Now boys I want you all to make Jacqueline feel right at home-" Mom started

"Jackie," she interrupted in monotone.

"Stanley, I would like you to be her personal guide. Make her feel welcome and show her the ropes." Caveman nodded his agreement and Mom beamed.

"Alright then boys -and girl- dinners in a bit so get Jacqueline situated before then." he nodded and turned on his heal to exit. "It should be no labor-"

"to be nice to your neighbor," we all finished in annoyance.

"Wait!" Jackie called spinning and catching him by the sleeve. "There are seven beds and seven guys…where am I suppose to sleep?" she asked.

"Oh well your cot will show up in about a day or two," Mom answered glancing inside the tent, "now though I usually encourage sharing, I do _not_ suggest you share a cot with any of the boys."  
She visibly cringed at the idea and I smirked.  
_If she only knew how badly some of them wanted to share even more with her. _"So either you sleep on the ground for the time being, or convince one of your tent mates to give there cot to you and take the ground themselves." Mom said nodding. "Have a nice night." And he was gone.

"Bu- wait!" Jackie called. When Mom didn't stop, or answer she groaned and stomped her foot in frustration. I started laughing out loud despite myself and completely ignored the odd stares everyone was sending my way.

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**Ok so I'm on a roll and might actually update AGAIN before the day ends! Ok well thanks for reading, I hope you liked it! No flames if you didn't please!**

_**~monie**_


	4. Sharing

**CHAPTER 4:**

**--Jackie--**

So Zigzag was having some sort of melt down right before my eyes. It was almost scary to watch. His arms were rapped around his stomach and his head feel back as he laughed hysterically at nothing in particular.

"Hey Zig, you alright?" the boy from earlier asked. I recognized him as the one who had carried my bag when Zigzag so gently tossed me over his shoulder.

"Don't spook him," I scoffed, reliving my previous feelings toward the zigzaggy haired boy. He wiped his eyes and sat up straight after a while. Turning his face down to his hands he started fiddling his fingers and acting as if nothing had happened. _Oooook then._

"Hey man forget those wack names Mom told you," said the black boy with the thick dust covered glasses. I had no idea who he was talking about when he said 'mom' though.

"My names X-Ray, this is Armpit," he pointed to the bigger black kid standing to his right. He nodded his greeting and I returned it.

"That's Squid over there," the boy who'd carried my bag raised his black eyebrows at me and swiveled the toothpick around in his mouth. Not a good sign.

"Magnet," the Hispanic boy with a shaved head smiled and waved at me from the third cot on the left.

"Caveman," the one Pendanski had called Stanley gave me a genuinely warm smile and I returned it. His brown hair sat messily at the top of his head and I couldn't help but think that he didn't look like much of a criminal.

"You met Zigzag," X-Ray laughed nodding at the unresponsive blonde boy. I rolled my eyes and didn't comment.

"And that's Zero over there," he jutted his chin to the very back of the tent. There a small boy was resting on a cot and not doing much else. Barely even blinking. I thought he looked adorable with his wild hair and caramel skin. _Like a teddy bear._

"He don't talk to no one but Caveman though," Armpit said.

"Yea, that fools retarded or something," X-Ray said laughing. I was appalled!

"Maybe he's not retarded, maybe he just doesn't have anything to say to you losers!" I snapped. All eyes in the tent turned to me, even Zigzag and Zero's. Zero's looked shocked while Zigzag looked suspicious.

"You shouldn't pick on people you know nothing about," I said, sticking my nose in the air and walking over to Zero. I sat down on the edge of his cot and after a few seconds was joined by Caveman who flashed me a wide smile that I mirrored.

"Hi, Zero," I said kindly turning to the small boy, "I'm Jackie, nice to meet you." I stuck my hand out towards him and he took it hesitantly and shook it. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly in the ghost of a smile. When he released my hand I placed it in my lap and narrowed my eyes at him quizzically.

"You know, I bet your smarter then all these other guys and just choose not to speak to any of them. Kinda like that mouse from _Tom and Jerry._"

This time he really did smile and I laughed a little bit. Stanley watched us, beaming and rubbed his head for a second. I had a feeling I'd be spending a lot of time with Caveman and Zero during my stay. They seemed like the most decent ones in the whole tent.

A shrill bell rang, ruining the moment and making me jump badly. "What was that?" I asked turning to Caveman.

"Oh that's just the dinner bell," he said moving off the cot. I followed his example and then waited at the tent flap with him for Zero. The rest of D-Tent had already headed off to eat. As we left I walked between Zero and Caveman and felt safe instead of nervous for the first time today.

"Oh and don't worry," Caveman said when we were half way to the food hall, "you can have my cot." He blushed a bit as he finished and even more when I threw my arms around him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are a gentlemen and a prince Stanley!"

He and Zero just laughed as I dance around them in circles till we reached the food hall.

* * *

**--Zigzag--**

No one had ever stood up to X-Ray before, and from the look on his face, no one but Jackie probably ever would again. He was scary furious and just kept mumbling about how he should've had a come back for her. Though I would never in a million years admit it, I was pretty impressed by what Jackie did. I guess I didn't really think Zero was stupid since I got quite a lot too, but I'd never thought about defending him. Despite myself I started thinking that Jackie might be a _nearly decent _person. Even if she was a spy for the CIA.

I glanced up and witnessed her dance into the food hall. She looked extremely happy about something and had Caveman and Zero trailing not far behind her. I didn't like how they had so easily warmed up to her. She had probably stuck probes inside their brains after we'd left the tent and was now controlling them. I took back my thoughts about her being decent.

"You almost fooled me didn't ya, you little spy?" I mumbled softly to myself. Squid glanced at me and then followed my eyes up to the intruder. She danced towards the food line ignoring the stares she was getting from the other campers. _She definitely knows how to get attention._

"Hey X, there she is," Squid said after Jackie reached the line with Caveman and Zero.

"What're Zero and Caveman doin with her?" Magnet asked aloud, leaning over the table.

"Man, Zero'll kiss the ass of anyone who's nice to him," Armpit said shaking his head.

"And Caveman?" Magnet said, watching her as she looked disgustedly at the food choices.

"She's probably usin mind control on him and now he's like her little slave for life," I said quickly. I could almost feel my eyes spark and then grow dim. They all shook their heads at me and decided to ignore my comment. Fine with me_. Let them think I'm crazy. They'll be sorry when I'm the only one who can save them._

"Hey guys," Caveman said, as he reached the table with Jackie and Zero off to his left. She sat down between the two of them and started picking at her food. I watched her as if my life depended on it. Which it probably did. Every time she so much as twitched a finger my eyes widened and I leaned over a bit. I was practically leaning over Caveman when X-Ray stood up and reached towards Jackie's plate.

"I'm sure you wouldn't mind givin your bread to your new tent mate who worked out in the hot sun all day while you got a ride on a cool bus now would you?" he said, smiling as he reached for the bread on her plate. Bringing one hand up, she covered her bread and used the other hand to smack his away.

"Yea, actually I would," she said glaring up at him. Maybe it was just my paranoia, but I swear the whole hall went silent and turned to watch.

"What?!" X snapped angrily, standing up straight now. Jackie stood up too, her height pitiful compared to his but the look on her face just as scary. I was starting to enjoy this.

"I said I _would_ mind," she repeated, "out of all this crap, the bread looks like the only edible thing. You've got your own damn bread so why don't you settle with it."

She sat back down and took a large bite into her bread, chewing it slowly while still glaring at X-Ray. Taking my eyes off her for the first time I saw that X-Ray looked like he would snap with rage at any moment. He stood glaring for a second before sitting down and giving her an evil smile.

"You're gonna regret that," he warned. Jackie rolled her eyes and pretended to shiver.

"Oh I'm so scared!" She laughed out loud and stood up with her plate. "Way to be a totally cliché loser," she scoffed and stomped away, tossing the rest of her dinner into the trash. She threw open the door and left without another glance back. Caveman and Zero stared after her before Zero shot up and followed her. _Mind control._

"She'll be sorry…" X-Ray said to o one in particular. Even though he kept acting tough I knew he'd been thrown by Jackie's refusal and more than a little bit embarrassed. He looked so angry then. It was so funny to me. I started laughing again. All eyes turned to me like I was insane and X-Ray just kept glaring at his plate. My laughs echoed through-out the silent hall and bounced off all the walls till it grew louder and louder.

**--Jackie--**

"That stupid jerk!" I shrieked once I got inside the tent. I threw myself onto a random cot praying it wasn't X-Ray's. the lumpy pillow didn't do much for comfort so I started punching it in frustration. "I hate, hate, hate, HATE THIS PLACE!" I screamed at the wall before falling onto my side again. I brushed at my eyes and noticed the tears on my hands. I sometimes cried when I got angry and it was a huge pain in the ass. "Ugh!"

Someone tapped my shoulder and I shot up on the cot. I was about ready to punch anyone who messed with me. Luckily it turned out I wouldn't have to.

"Oh, it's you Zero," I mumbled, lowering my previously raised fist. He nodded mutely and then walked around the cot I lay on to the one next to it. He flopped onto his back with his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. I tucked my hands under my head and watched him.

"Is X-Ray always such an ass?" I asked, sniffing. He nodded without hesitation and I smirked a bit before growing somber again. "How do you stand it?" He turned to face me and didn't answer. Just stared at me with an expressionless face. Finally I understood. _He doesn't have to deal with it because he never says anything._

"Oh," was all I said. He turned back to the ceiling and I didn't say anything else. It was dark outside now and I'd had a long day. Stanley said I could have his cot, but he wasn't done with dinner yet and I wanted to give him a chance to change his mind. Not like I'd care. He deserved a cot just for being a genuinely good person. Same as Zero.

I kept my eyes open watching the little boy before they started to grow heavy. I yawned slightly and curled into a tighter ball. Before I knew it I had fallen into a restless sleep.

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**Reviews are loved!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**_~monie_**


	5. Midnight flames

**CHAPTER 5:**

**--Zigzag--**

I was walking to the tent with the rest of the guys after dinner. X-Ray was still mad as hell and after my second laughing fit pretty much no one was talking to me. _Big surprise._

I stalked into the tent before the others and froze at what I saw. Magnet ran into my back and I stumbled forward as he complained behind me until he saw it too.

On his usual cot, Zero was fast asleep and snoring lightly. And then right next to him on **my** cot where **I** usually slept…was Jackie. She was folded in on herself and her hands were curled into tiny fists beneath her head. She sighed and turned away from us. She was asleep obviously. Her hair fanned out around her head and her cheek laid flat against **my** pillow.

"What the hell are y'all gawkin at?!" X-Ray snapped as he pushed past us. He noticed Jackie sleeping on my cot and he clenched his fists. "Ah hell no!" he said stomping over to the side of the cot. Before anyone knew what had happened, Zero's eyes had snapped open. He flew off his cot, and pushed X before his hand reached Jacqueline. Everyone froze as she sighed and turned over again. Her brow was scrunched up and her mouth twisted into a frown. I found myself wondering what she was dreaming about.

"What the hell you think you're doin?" X asked pushing Zero back. The little guy wouldn't give up and stepped right between X-Ray and Jackie.

"Hey guys come on you're gonna wake her up," Caveman said, moving to cut them off. X-Ray tried to push him out of the way too, but Zero just shoved him back again.

"You better watch yourself little boy!" X shouted moving closer to Zero and my cot.

At this point Caveman had grabbed X's shoulder to move him back and X wasn't having it.

"Move!" he said grabbing Caveman's shirt and tossing him to the side.

"Come on man, leave em alone," Magnet said from a few feet away. This was getting kind of out of hand, but who would listen to me if I said that? _I'm just the crazy one._

By now Zero and X-Ray had moved to the middle of the tent and were in a full out fight. The others gathered around and only Stanley was trying to break it up. Meanwhile I sat down on Zero's abandoned cot and watched Jackie sleeping.

She was breathing deeply, not snoring like the guys. Every now and again her lips would twitch or she'd wiggle her fingers. All in all it was pretty entertaining. The only thing that ruined it was how sad she looked. Her pink lips bent down at the edges and there were lines carved into her forehead. If I didn't know any better I'd say she was having a nightmare. _She's actually kind of pretty._

"You guys break it up!" Caveman called from off to my right. I glanced momentarily at the fight and then decided it was beneath me. Moving slowing -inch by inch- I made my way over to my cot and reached underneath making sure not to actually touch it. I searched around till my hand touched some fabric and I pulled out two big sheets.

Throwing one to the ground, I unfolded the other one and snapped it straight before laying it over Jackie. She fussed around a bit before curling her finger around the edge and sighing again. My mouth twitched slightly and my eyes felt like they sparked again.

_This spy is getting to me, I have to be careful._

Unfolding the other sheet, I spread it out on the floor between mine and Zero's cots. Stretching out on it I folded my hands behind my head and looked up at the ceiling. The fight could still be heard but it didn't bother me. It was barely a dull buzz in the back of my busy mind. Instead, as I found shapes in the top of the tent, I listened to the sound of Jackie breathing as she slept.

* * *

**--Jackie--**

I sat straight up in bed with a shriek. Spinning my head in every direction it took me a second to realize I'd only been dreaming and then another two seconds to remember where I was. _Camp Green Lake, D-Tent._

I sighed and rubbed my eyes wearily. I'd been having a nightmare about the day I'd been caught. Shaking my head to brush it away I glanced around the tent. It was pitch black and my eyes were still adjusting. From the looks of it everyone was asleep. I let my hands fall into my lap and realized someone had covered me with a sheet. _Probably Zero. _I smiled and made a mental note to repay him sometime.

Looking around the room I noticed that everyone -including Stanley- was asleep in their cot. _That cant be right. _I did a head count and the listed the boys off in my head. When I was done I did it again knowing I must've forgotten someone. Then it hit me.

"Zigzag?" I said softly, my voice scratchy from sleep. Sliding my feet off the cot I went to stand. I was expecting my foot to touch the ground but instead it landed on something soft but firm. Snatching my leg back up onto the cot I peered over the edge. Zigzag was spread out, asleep, on the floor. I'd just stepped on his arm for a second. A sheet lay tangled beneath him and I glanced at the one next to me. _This must be his cot. Did he cover me up?_ _That seems almost…sweet of him._

My eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness thanks to the moonlight coming through the slit in the tent flap. In the dim light I could make out Zigzag's features. He was tall and thin, but by no means scrawny or awkward. His arms and face were tan from being in the sun all day and his crazy hair was lighter at the top then at the bottom. He had muscles, that was for sure. Not huge ones, but they were definitely there. One of his arms was draped over his flat stomach while the other laid across his wide chest. He was wearing the same under shirt he'd been wearing that morning, the top of his orange jumpsuit pulled down to his waist. He snored a bit and the sound made me laugh. That and the fact that he slept with his mouth hanging open. I stared at his face the longest. He had a long straight nose and a slender face. When it came right down to it, Zigzag was attractive in many ways. Maybe not his personality sometimes but then hey I wasn't laying there freezing my butt off for a reason right?

I hadn't realized it but while examining him, I had leaned over the edge over the cot and now my face was only inches from his. I was admiring him up and down when I noticed something silver clutched in his hand. Glancing at him quickly -still snoring- I reached over and slipped it from his hand.

It was a lighter. The kind where you flipped the top up to use it. It was completely silver and surprisingly clean considering. The only thing interrupting its flat surface was the 'Z' carved into the side of it. It might have just been a small thing but it really was interesting to me. And Zigzag obviously. I turned it over and over in my palm. It shined slightly in the little bit of moonlight and I was tempted to open it up and watch the light on Zigzag's face. _You're sick, put it back!_ That was true. I was crossing over into stalkerish territory and I'd be smart to quit while ahead.

"Well no one ever said I was smart," I whispered to myself as I flicked the top open. The flame immediately burst to life and the light hurt my eyes. After being blind for a second I was able to witness the tiny tongue of fire sway around, making light dance across my face and the area around me. I'd never _held_ a lighter, let alone _used_ one. I didn't smoke and I'd had no real interest in fire till just then. The first thing that came to mind when someone mentioned fire was terrible black clouds and red flames that engulfed everything around them till all that was left was ash and soot.

This was nothing like that. This thing was small and…beautiful? Maybe. It just kept moving and would simply move faster when I breathed on it. I found it weirdly calming after my hectic day. I'd totally forgotten about watching Zigzag. That is until a large, calloused hand wrapped around my wrist, making the flame shake.

Ripping my eyes from the lighter I saw Zigzag's face just beyond the flame. He was slightly propped up and his blue eyes pierced through me. His mouth was set in a grim line and he looked furious. Still clutching my wrist he sat up completely and flipped the light shut with his free hand,

Already having a grip on me he yanked me from the cot and dragged me to the floor in front of him. I could barely see in the reestablished darkness but it didn't matter because I didn't need to see him to know how angry he was.

"What the hell you think you're doin?" he hissed in his Texan accent, shaking me slightly. I stuttered over an answer, still surprised at being found out.

"I-…I was just looking an-"

"Don't ever touch my lighter, you hear? Not ever!" His grip tightened around my wrist and I flinched. He really was strong.

"Ok, I'm sorry Zigzag, I just-" I didn't get a chance to finish before he released me and took his lighter back. Gathering up his sheet he stalked over to the other side of the tent and laid down in the corner. He settled down and then didn't move again. I sat watching him, my mouth still open to finish my sentence. When I finally snapped out of it I scuffled back onto his cot and curled up on my side, my back to him just like his was to me.

I stared off into space for a while, cradling my bruised wrist in my other hand in the darkness. I wondered why me seeing his lighter had made him so angry. Tears pricked my eyes and then pooled over splashing onto **his **pillow.

It was terrible to think about how I'd been admiring him just a few minutes ago and now I was crying over how he'd hurt me. This shouldn't be happening until maybe three months from now in normal girl time. Curling tighter into myself I cried softly into his pillow with his sheet twisted around my ankles.

Worst first day ever.

* * *

**Ok this is PROBABLY the last time I'll update tonight. I'm pretty tired right now actually and still haven't fully thought up the next chapter. But it'll come soon!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**~monie**


	6. Roll in the guilt train

_**CHAPTER 6:**_

_**--Zigzag--**_

The morning bell blared and my eyes snapped open. From across the tent I heard Jackie scream and tumble off my caught. I stood up and rolled up the sheet I'd been sleeping on. Everyone was getting sleepily up as I walked to towards my cot.

"What was that?" Jackie asked from the floor, rubbing her head.

"Mornin bell," I said throwing my sheet onto the cot, "get up."

She stared at me groggily before nodding and standing up. She yawned loudly, stretching backwards with her arms lifted. _She looks like a cat._

"Hey hurry up Jackie, we gotta get breakfast," called Caveman from beside his cot, where he was pulling on his jumpsuit. I sniffed loudly and turned away from her, heading towards the tent flap.

Outside everyone else was getting up and walking to the 'Library' to grab breakfast and a shovel. I walked that way too and grabbed a shovel and then headed to the food cart.

By the time I'd gotten a tortilla with honey on it Jackie, Zero, and Caveman had all come out of D-Tent and wear heading my way. Now that she was fully awake, Jacqueline was avoiding eye contact with me. Which she should. _Little spy tried to steal my lighter._

I was definitely angry about that, but it was hard to tell if my anger outweighed my guilt. After yelling at her I'd had trouble falling asleep and because of that I got to listen to her cry herself to sleep. I didn't understand why I felt so bad about making her cry. She was just a spy sent to observe me after all. _It shouldn't matter…But it does._

She was walking slowly towards me now, shovel in hand. The tool nearly reached her height and she dragged it when she walked. Zero was on her right side and yawned a bit when they stopped in front of me.

"Hey Zigzag," she said timidly. Her voice was a soft one. It wasn't high-pitched or whiny like a lot of girls. _I kind of liked it. Stop it!_

"Hey," I said flatly, averting my eyes, instead choosing to watch campers grab their shovels.

"Look about last night…" she said kicking at the dirt.

"Whatever. I don't wanna talk about it," I said quickly glancing around before looking at her. She looked hurt by my words and I felt that pang of guilt again.

"I just wanted to say sorry about using your lighter and…thank you…for covering me up and letting me sleep on your cot."

I looked at her face now. She was biting her bottom lip nervously and clutching her shovel tightly. She looked like she was expecting me to yell at her again. _Ah the guilt._

"Sure, don't mention it," I said, biting into my breakfast.

I guessed that I wasn't really mad about the lighter thing. When I'd first woken up I thought I'd been having a dream. A really good dream. She was just sitting there on the other side of the flame, looking entranced. Her eyes sparkled and her full lips were parted slight as she watched it. She looked beautiful to me at that moment. I don't know why I got so angry in the first place.

"Who the hell took my shovel?!" X-Ray yelled from over by the 'Library'. Everyone knew that X-Ray's shovel was shorter than all the others. Everyone except…

Looking over I realized Jackie was holding X-Ray's shovel. That would just set him off again. Reaching over I snatched it from her hand and tossed mine at her. She looked confused, but caught it anyway. She had just gotten a grip on it when X-Ray stomped over and noticed me.

"What the hell you doin, Zig?" he growled. I shrugged, still leaning on his shovel.

"I aint doin nothin," I said, glancing at Jackie. A look of recognition crossed her face and then it morphed into a glare directed at X.

"Yea I just bet you aint," he snapped grabbing his shovel. Walking away, he tossed another one into the dirt. I watched him go before picking it up and leaning it against my shoulder.

"Why'd you do that?" Jackie asked me looking confused.

"You didn't know any better," I mumbled trying to down play it.

"No I mean why'd you let him talk to you like that?" I stared at her oddly, not knowing exactly what she was trying to say.

She rolled her eyes. "You're way bigger then X-Ray. You could pummel him into the dirt! Why do you put up with his crap?"

I stared in the direction X had gone and then back at Jackie before shrugging. _What kind of answer could I have to that?_

"Are you afraid of him?" she asked after a moment of thought

"No!" I snapped. _Why would I be afraid of a jerk like X-Ray?_

"Then what's the deal?"

I let my eyes swivel around to make sure no one was watching or listening to us. When the area seemed clear I leaned in close to her face and stared her straight in the eyes.

"What would be the point of makin enemies in a place like this?" I said quietly. "The way I see it, I can serve my time here without bein bothered or I can have assholes like X-Ray make each an everyday a livin hell." I stood up straight again and glanced down at her. Her eyes had gone wide and she was staring off into space. Maybe realizing that she had made an enemy in X. I nodded to Zero before swinging my shovel over my shoulder and walking away.

* * *

**--Jackie--**

I walked quickly to keep up with the guys of D-Tent. We were being lead to our digging sight for the day and it was hard to follow their long strides while dragging a shovel around. Zero and Caveman would pause every now and then to wait for me, but eventually I'd fall behind again.

I was glad that I'd gotten to talk to Zigzag that morning. He didn't seem too mad about the lighter thing and from the way he saved me from X, I guessed that he wouldn't hold a grudge. He was walking towards the front of the group now. His shovel was resting on top of his shoulder blades and his wrists hung over the edge.

I was still watching him when I bumped into Zero. Glancing around I realized that we'd stopped in the middle of the lake.

"You'll dig here today," Mr. Sir said before walking over to stand by me. "Well you better get started," he laughed, spitting on the ground. _Gross!_

"Yes, Mr. Sir," I nodded and lowered the tip of my shovel to the ground. I'd been expecting it to spilt the ground as soon as I applied pressure but it wouldn't budge. I tried again putting all my weight on it. Nothing. Rolling up my jumpsuit sleeves I grabbed the end of the shovel with both hands and then jumped on the blade. What goes up must come down. I fell flat on my back and coughed on the dirt that flew up.

"Jackie, use your foot to put the blade in," Caveman laughed before demonstrating with his own shovel. _Oooooh I see._

Getting up, I brushed myself off and did as he said. Success! "Thanks Caveman," I beamed tossing my first bit of dirt to the side. _This isn't so hard! I bet I become a digging wiz! With nice muscles and a killer tan! Yeah! _

* * *

**-5 Hours Later-**

* * *

"Oh my God, I'm going to _die_!" I groaned up at the sky. I was flopped over the edge of my no-where-near-finished hole and suffering from near heat stroke. I was covered in dirt and my throat felt about as dry as the damn lake itself. This was torture.

"Come on Jackie," Caveman called, "first holes the hardest, you gotta keep goin."

"Dah, I cant do this!" I whined. "Its like a _thousand _degrees out here! I'm baking." I tossed my hand helplessly across my face, trying in vain to block the sun.

There was a low rumble in the distance and I cracked my eyes open. Coming from the direction of the camp was a blue pick-up truck with a giant container like thing in its carriage. I lifted my head up slightly as I drew closer.

"What's that?" I asked the boys.

"Water truck," Squid answered, hopping out of his hole. "Time for lunch."

"Water?!" I scrambled to my feet, swaying a bit. "Thank god!" They all rolled their eyes at me and continued to exit their holes. The truck pulled up a few yards away and they all started to line up. They seemed to know exactly where they were going so I guessed this was like the social standing. X-Ray of course, was first and Zero last. _I guess I'll be last now._ I started walking towards the truck, still observing the line. _After X-Ray comes Squid, then Armpit, Zigzag, Magnet, Cavem-_

"Eek!" I cried as tumbled into a hole I hadn't noticed. I landed at the bottom with a dull 'thud' and was followed by a heap of dirt that I'd dragged out of the sides as I fell. I sneezed and coughed, hacking up the filth as I shook my hair free of sand.

"Jackie, you ok?!" I heard Stanley call from outside the hole.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I coughed. Suddenly the sun coming into hole was cut off. Looking up I could make out the shape of a crazy head of hair.

"You alright?" Zigzag asked. I nodded, brushing off my hands before glancing around the hole. It was really deep compared to mine.

"Who's hole is this?" I questioned, "They're almost done."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes at me. "Zero. Who else?" As if waiting to be mentioned, Zero's head popped into my line of sight.

"Nice hole," I complimented, giving him the thumbs up, "deep _and_ subtle. I didn't even see it coming."

He smirked momentarily before his eyes grew wide. "What's wrong?" I asked, confused. He point his hand into the hole. "I'm fine Zero, no worries," I tried to reassure him. Zigzag looked as confused as I did but then his eyes widened too. "Ok what's going on her-" I was cut off by a scuttling sound behind my head. I froze in place my own eyes becoming as big as theirs. Turning my head slowing I saw the **gigantic **scorpion crawling across the side of the tunnel. It clicked its pinchers and scuttled onto the floor. When faced with a scorpion, five feet doesn't seem quite far enough.

"Oh my-" I breathed.

"Don't move!" Zigzag hissed. Reaching in slowly, he extended his hand to me. My heart was going a million miles a minute as I reached to take it. _Too slow, way too slow._

The scorpion raised its tail and started for me, its tiny little legs clicking across the dirt.

"HOLY SHIT!" I yelled, jumping to my feet. I did it so fast that my skull collided with Zigzag's nose and he fell back with a groan. "Sorry!" I breathed as I shuffled out of the hole. It took a second, but I finally crawled out on my belly and hopped to my toes. Hauling ass the other direction I ran until I was a good 60 feet from the hole.

"Ew, ew, ew!" I whimpered, dancing around to make sure I was scorpion free. I racked my fingers through my hair and shook my jumpsuit. When I was sure I was safe I shivered and twitched all over. _I hate things that __**crawl**__!_

Looking back over my shoulder I saw Caveman and Zero running towards me and Squid way back by the hole, helping Zigzag up. _Ah crap, so long apology._

"What just happened?" Caveman wheezed when he reached me.

"Scorpion in the hole," I sighed, shivering again.

"Oh," he coughed, "well Pendanski says you need to get back over there." I nodded reluctantly and followed them back. Zigzag sat, propped against the side of the truck with one hand holding a rag to his nose. My stomach tightened with guilt and I crouched beside him.

"You alright?" I asked, much like he had earlier.

"I'm fine," he grumbled, shooting his eyes all around. Reaching up I grabbed his hand and pulled it away from his face.

"Ugh!" I gasped despite myself. Zigzag shot a glare in my direction before looking away again. "Sorry," I mumbled. Zigzag's nose wasn't broken, so it was still straight, but blood had gushed from it and now covered his mouth and chin with some having landed on his white shirt.

"It's nothing," he sighed, moving to put the rag back under his nose. I cringed and stopped him.

"Don't, that thing's filthy!"

"Well, what do you suggest?" he snapped, rolling his eyes at me as another drop of blood fell from his nose. I sat silently thinking about it for a second before an idea struck me.

"Wait here," I said standing up straight. Walking around to the other side of the truck I crouched down and unzipped the front of my jumpsuit. I was definitely going to miss this tank top but I felt really bad. Slipping it off, I zipped up my jumpsuit again and walked back around to Zigzag.

"Here, this is much cleaner," I sighed bending down and holding up the white top to him.

"Where'd you get that?" he asked suspiciously, eyeing it. I rolled my eyes and moved closer.

"Just take it." He reached over slowly and grabbed it. Glancing between it and me for a second, he pressed the tank top to his nose.

"See," I said smugly, "now you wont get some hideous disease and I bet I smell a lot better then that old rag." He rolled his eyes, but didn't protest.

"Thanks."

"No problem," I said, waving him off. Picking up the old, bloody rag I walked over and tossed it into my unfinished hole. Everyone else had already gone back to digging.

"Well now that your both situated," said Pendanski, speaking for the first time since my return, "I think you should both get back to work."

I spun around in shock as Zigzag got to his feet. I stomped over and pushed him back down and then turned on Pendanski. "Zigzag cant work! He's bleeding for God's sake!"

"Jackie I'm fi-"

"Hush!" I snapped at Zigzag. He shrank back onto the ground and stayed silent.

"Jacqueline, I don't think a bloody nose will effect Ricky's arm usage," Pendanski said, sighing.

"Well I don't care what you think, you're not exactly a certified doctor," I hissed, putting my hands on my hips. "Zigzag _won't _dig anymore today and you _will_ take him back to camp."

Pendanski looked unsure for the first time and I guessed that the glare on my face was pretty terrifying.

"…Fine," he huffed at last, "but if the warden brings it down on my head I'm taking you with me." I smirked and skipped over to Zigzag. I could handle Mr. Sir if it came to that. Helping Zigzag up I brought him around to the passenger side door, I pushed him into the truck and then slid in beside him. I shut the door and then glanced over to find Zigzag and Pendanski staring at me dumb founded.

"What're you doin?" they both asked in unison. I shrugged as it were obvious.

"Well all the other campers are here," I said, "and if memory serves me right, Mr. Sir isn't exactly the most **gentle **person."

"And?" Pendanski asked, still looking at me as if I had two heads.

"Well _someone _has to take care of Zigzag," I huffed in annoyance. _How dumb can one man be?_

Zigzag's eyes went wide and he moved my tank top away from his face. "I don't need you takin care of me!" he snapped.

"Mhm," I nodded, replacing the tank to his nose to soak up the blood, "sure." He glared at me and I just sent him a charming smile.

Pendanski shook his head and started up the car. "Girls are crazy," he said to himself.

"I heard that!"

* * *

**Ok that was chapter 6! Pretty long but worth it yeah? Reviews make me smile! No flames please!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	7. Do It For Me Now

**This is the last day I have to update until maybe the 24****th****! Midterms are such a pain in the butt right? Right! Ok that was my tiny rant for the day, Review! Oh and I haven't made one yet but its disclaimer time!  
****I don't own any of the characters from Holes! I only own Jackie Rivers and the plot twists. I also don't own the songs "Who Will Save Your Soul" or "Do It For Me Now". Those belong to their respective artists.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

**--Zigzag--**

The ride back to Camp Green Lake was awkward. I wasn't comfortable being in such a small space with Jackie. _She could take out Pendanski, finish me off, and then throw me in a hole._ I sat with the tank top she'd given me pressed to my nose. I had to admit that it smelled really good. A lot better then that rag Mom had given me. I glanced over at her now. She was singing some annoying song I'd never heard before and bobbing her head along with the beat. Her brown hair bounced around her face as she pelted out the words.

"...Another doctor's bill, a lawyer's bill, another cute, cheap thrill. You know you love him if you put him in your will, but who will saaaave your soul? When it comes to flowers now! Who will saaaave your soul…"

She had a decent enough voice, but the song itself was annoying. Pulling her tank top away from my face I turned to her.  
"Would you be quite?" I grumbled. She looked surprised, but it quickly turned into annoyance.

"Why?" she challenged, turning to me. I couldn't help but notice that out legs were pressed together in the cramped truck. _Focus!_

"Cause you sound like Kermit the Frog," I said bluntly. "What're you even singin?"

"I sound like that because that's how Jewel sang the song!" she huffed. "It's called _Who Will Save You Soul._"

"Oh really, I would never have guessed that," Mom scoffed from behind the wheel. Jackie leaned over my lap to glare at him.

"Excuse me, rudeness, but me and Zigzag were having a private conversation! It's very rude of you to listen in _and_ interrupt!"

"But I'm in the same-"

"Rude!" She got the last word as she sat back in her seat and stared out the window. Glancing over for a second she grabbed my hand and pushed her top back to my face.

"Cover the blood," she grimaced before turning away again. I looked over to Mom and he just rolled his eyes. I knew how he felt.

"Well here we are!" Mom said at last. The truck came to a shaky stop and Jackie hopped out.

"Ok Pendanski, I'm gonna need clean towels, soap, and a bowl of warm water, stat!" she shouted helping me out of the truck in a rush. I tripped over my feet and nearly made us both crash to the ground.

"What're you-" I started.

"Quite you've had severe head trauma!" she hissed seriously, rushing to the tent. "Pendanski bring me those supplies asap!"

"Jacqueline, please stop being so dramatic," Mom said, not moving to get anything, "Ricky is going to be fine." Jackie stopped abruptly and rolled her eyes, tossing my arms off her shoulder. She spun around to face Mom with her hands on her hips/

"God, way to ruin my fun," she huffed, "I've been digging for hours and as soon as I try to have a little fun you shoot me down!"

Mom just sighed and walked away to the councilors' cabin. Jackie flipped him off as soon as his back was turned before coming back to me. I shook my head at her and we headed into the tent. Once we got inside she steered me over to my cot and sat me down.

"Alrighty then, lemme see what I've got in the bag," she mused rubbing her palms together.

"What bag?" I asked as she knelt by Zero's cot. When she stood up straight again, she was caring a red knapsack. She dumped all its contents onto the floor by my feet and licked her lips.

"This bag," she replied, brushing her hair out of her face. Sifting through all the junk she yanked out an ipod and a little stand. "A-ha," she mumbled to herself. I glanced at everything from her bag to see if she had any spy equipment, but everything looked legit. _Don't let her fool you, Ziggy._

Turning back to Zero's cot she plugged the ipod into the stand and propped it up on the bed. Looking through the music she started humming to herself.

"What're you doin?" I asked, getting impatient. I just wanted to get my face clean.

"Picking a song to listen to," she said, as if I were slow. I sighed and flopped back onto my cot. I rested on my back, staring up at the ceiling when music started playing through the tent.

"What're you doing?!" Jackie shrieked suddenly. I didn't realize she was standing by my knees when I shot up on the cot. Our skulls collided with a loud 'clack' and I fell back gripping my head. Jackie slid to the groaned with a loud cry and bent over her knees.

"Good god!" I hissed through clenched teeth. _This is going to take longer than I thought._

* * *

**--Jackie--**

My head was killing me as I filled a bowl with warm water and grabbed a towel. I hadn't meant to surprise Zigzag like that, but I didn't think it was a good idea from him to lie on his back with a bloody nose. That was all I'd been planning to point out when we smacked heads together. I turned off the faucet for the spigot and walked back to the tent.

Zigzag was still sitting on his cot, touching his forehead tenderly while at the same time plugging his nose. _Smooth Jacqueline, real smooth. Turn him into a blood bath!_

I sighed and moved to sit beside him. He moved back an inch after I got comfy and eyed me angrily. The spot on his forehead looked like it was starting to bruise.

"My bad," I said pathetically, soaking the towel in the warm water. I'd stopped the music after our little collision, but turned now to press play before moving to wipe his face. He flinched away and I sighed. "You can't move."

"…Sorry," he mumbled becoming still. I moved closer slowly as the music grew louder. He still watched me closely, but didn't flinch when I touch the cloth to his face and started wiping away the blood.

_It's a frightening night and the wind has a roar  
__It seeps through the hall and from under the door  
__Like the shit that was said -can't take it that well  
__I give and I give and I give and I give and I'm still  
__Lost and hurt and bone dead from the love that's been starved  
__I know I've got close but I'm sure it's too far _

I dipped the towel back in the bowl and brought it back to his face. "Hey Ziggy?" I tested, lightly.

"Yea?" he replied, suspiciously. I touched the towel to his face again and started wiping away the blood on his chin. His blue eyes darted all over my face as if looking for some sort of window into my mind.

"What're you in here for?"

_From the point of suspense we know it should be  
__The end of the part of our favorite movie  
__Where the guy grabs the girl and gives her his hand  
__Says take me away from this torturous land  
__Cause the grave is set up -The hole that I dug  
__I gave and I gave and I gave and I gave you my trust_

His eyes narrowed and he moved away. "Why you need to know?" I rolled my eyes and pulled him back to me, replacing the cloth to his nose.

"I was just wondering," I assured him, scrubbing at the dried blood on his lips.

He eyed me a few more minutes before replying. "I set my school on fire nine months ago."

_Like the time that we kissed and you gave me a lie  
__To add to the scene you pretended to cry  
__But I'm here and I'm cool -the way that it is  
__Just give me a chance and I'll try to forgive..._

"Why?!" I gasped, pulling away. His eyes dropped to the floor before darting around the room and studying everything. I realized I'd made him uncomfortable and kicked myself mentally. _First you smash his face in and now you're interrogating him! That's really the way to his heart Jackie!  
_I wasn't sure when I'd started trying to get to his heart but I pushed the thought aside. Moving my hand forward again I started cleaning his face again.

"Never mind," I said, brushing my own question away, "it doesn't matter."

_And I don't know - And I can't guess  
__It's gonna be okay but now  
__My last wish is that you do this with me  
__Kiss me here and hold my hand  
__And let me feel like I'm the only one  
__I know you can - Won't you do it for me now? _

His eyes came up to my face now and he breathed deeply behind the towel. He looked almost calm which was a new thing. He wasn't flinching or glancing around in suspicion. He just sat still and watched me. I gazed into his eyes and it was almost like staring at the lighter flame all over again.

I gasped, suddenly light headed. _Must have forgotten to take a breath, smooth_. I scooted back on the bed and ducked my head as my cheeks got all hot. My heart sputtered in my chest and my tongue felt three inches thick. Attractive no doubt.

Out of no where his hand came up and brushed the side of my face. I glanced up and he was staring at me again. I'd cleaned almost all the blood off his face and moved in now to wipe the last bit off the top of his mouth.

_I really had it with the rain and the tears  
__The predictable storm that has come every year  
__And it sneaks in from shore with the bat in it's hand  
__I'm tryin' I'm tryin' I'm tryin' I'm tryin' -I can't _

I touched the rag to his mouth and he covered my hand with his. I gasped and moved closer despite myself. _Warning! Warning, Jacqueline! Stop! Stop!_ I was way beyond listening as he pulled me closer until our noses almost touched. The heat seemed like it'd picked up about twenty degrees and I swore I was sweating, but it might have just been the nerves. He stared at my lips before making eye contact again. I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlight because he smirked before leaning into me…

_You're a thief and a witch, but I love you to death  
__You steal my heart and curse under your breath  
__But the one thing that I can most willingly prove  
__That when you are gone I'll be fine without you _

The kiss was like an electric bolt right down my spine. I think I must have jumped because suddenly I was in his lap and the towel had dropped to the floor. He wrapped his arms around my waist and mine snaked around his neck. He tasted really good! My eyes were sealed shut and I grabbed a handful of his crazy hair. _I love his hair!_

The kiss only got deeper and soon he was on his back on the cot and I was on top making him kiss me harder. I had been ignoring the small thing I had for him, but now it was making itself known in plane site! _Like I care!_ The only thought that crossed my mind was how glad I was that I'd smashed his nose with my own skull. We were all alone in the tent now and no one would finish their hole anytime soon.

_And I don't know - And I can't guess  
__It's gonna be okay but now  
__My last wish is that you do this with me  
__Kiss me here and hold my hand  
__And let me feel like I'm the only one  
__I know you can - Won't you do it for me now? _

I pulled away for a second to look into his eyes and they were a kind of blue I'd never seen before. "Wow," I breathed, almost out of breath, "Zigzag…"

"Yea?" he asked, smiling at me and touching the side of my head. I blinked and forgot what I'd been ready to say. _Damn him and his pretty eyes!_

"I forgot," I sighed shaking my head. He laughed at me and rolled over so that his weight was covering me.

"Tell me later," he murmured bending to kiss me again. I kissed him back and then through my head back to laugh. I stopped when I opened my eyes.

Standing inside the tent entrance –upside down for me- was Zero.

"Oh crap!" I groaned.

* * *

**Ok that was chapter 7! It took me a really long time to choose that second song lol. Its "Do It For Me Now" by Angels & Airwaves f.y.i. so anyway I wont be updating again for a while due to midterms sooo I hope u liked this!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	8. A matching couple

**Mid-terms are over and now it's a three day weekend! Woop! So I'm updating again because the last chapter ended on a slight cliff-hanger. Not extremely so but still :D  
****Disclaimer; I sadly do not own any of the originally characters from hole *le sigh*  
****Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**--Zigzag--**

"Oh crap!" Jackie said, looking towards the tent flap. Glancing up I saw Zero there and cursed under my breath. Rolling off Jacqueline I covered my face with my hands and tried to make it seem like we had** not** just been caught making out. _Yeah right!_

"Zero, wait!" Jackie said hopping off my cot. She dashed out of the tent and left me alone there. I sat up with a sigh and shook my head. _I'm so stupid, stupid, STUPID!_

I'd let Jackie get the drop on me and then** I'd** pulled **her** in for a kiss. I touched my fingers to my lips and smirked. It was a really good kiss though. _Stop it! She's probably furious!_

_But why would she be? She's the one who climbed into my lap!_

Remembering that, I actually blushed and ran my hand through my hair. It was crazier than usual since Jackie had grabbed a handful of it. I smirked again and stretched out with my hands behind my head. _Oh yeah, she'd definitely liked it._

* * *

**--Jackie--**

My cheeks were all hot and my lips felt kind of swollen as I ran after Zero. _Little guy is fast! _

He'd just walked in on me and Zigzag kissing and I was beyond embarrassed. I mean sure we weren't doing anything more than kissing, but I wasn't sure if Zero knew that. I felt kind of bad though. Like by kissing Zigzag I had somehow betrayed Zero's trust. It was a ridiculous thought though. _Almost as ridiculous as you wishing he hadn't interrupted!_

I rolled my eyes as I got closer to the water spigot. _Sure I hadn't wanted anyone to walk in. It's totally embarrassing!_

_Not wanting someone to walk in and not wanting someone to interrupt are two completely different things._

I ignored the tiny voice in my head as Zero came into my line of site. I slowed down a few feet away and racked my fingers through my disheveled hair. _Here goes nothin._

"Hey, Z," I said, taking a seat beside him on the ground. He didn't acknowledge my presence and I licked my lips in anxiety.

"Look…about what you just saw…it wasn't anything _wrong_," I said, feeling ridiculous. _Why am I talking to him like he's a 5 year old who just caught his parents doing it?!_

Sighing I rubbed my forehead and winced. It was definitely bruising.

"Ok Zero," I said huffing, "what you saw was totally ok because me and Zigzag are old enough to make our own decisions and-"

"Do you like him?" a small, raspy voice asked. I looked around for a second before realizing it was Zero who had spoken. The idea brought a small to my face and I hugged him around the shoulders. He didn't return the gesture so I backed off.

"Yeah," I said, finally answering his question, "yeah, I do."

"A lot?" he continued, looking at me. His face and hair were covered in dirt and he squinted at me in the sunlight.

I sat and thought about the question for a moment. I hadn't really thought much about it but the kiss seemed to be clarification enough.

Smiling, I turned back to him and actually laughed. "Yeah," I giggled, "a lot."

He nodded and turned to face forward again. I followed his example and we sat in silence. Not an uncomfortable silence, mind you. Not like an '_I'm waiting for you to forgive me'_ silence. I knew Zero understood and now we were just enjoying each others company. Not that I didn't like it, but I was kind of hoping to get back to Zigzag before everyone else got back. We obviously had a lot to talk about.

"So…," Zero said, stretching a bit, "Zigzag?" He sounded slightly sarcastic and I laughed again.

"Yep."

"Why?"

"It was the hair," I said, shrugging, "I couldn't resist." Zero laughed with me this time and we stood up. Obviously that wasn't really the reason I liked zigzag, but I didn't feel like being serious anymore.

"Coming back to the tent?" I said as Zero turned in the opposite direction.

"Uh no, I'm gonna go take a shower," he said, making a face at me. I stuck my tongue out at him and turned away to run back to the tent. I was smiling like an idiot because I was glad Zero hadn't gone all rigid on me. My hair was a mess as I pushed my way back into the tent and found Zigzag laying on his cot with his eyes closed. I tiptoed over and then screamed as I jumped onto the edge of the cot. Zig shot up and glared at me as I jumped down and sat beside him.

"What the hell was that for?" he sneered, rubbing his head. I just smiled and shrugged.

"Nothin, just kind of riled up."

"What'd Zero want?" he asked, after a moment of slightly awkward silence. Now I sobered up and fiddled with my hands in my lap.

"He, uh…didn't say much," I said before mentally kicking myself.

Zigzag scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I coulda guessed that much."

I punched his arm lightly before sitting still again.

"So…," I breathed, literally shaking from nerves.

"So?" Zigzag repeated, eyes darting around the room.

"What now?"

_The million dollar question._ I scoffed inwardly and waited for him to come up with an answer. Suddenly a large, rough hand wrapped around mine in my lap. Looking down I entwined my fingers with Zigzag's and smiled.

"Is this alright?" he said, meeting my eyes again. I nodded and scooted closer to rest my head on his shoulder.

"This is just fine."

* * *

**--Zigzag--**

Sitting with Jackie's head on my shoulder and her hand in mine was one of the best feelings I'd ever had. It was like we were frozen and no one else could ruin it. I'd never been this calm unless I was watching something burn. _No…this is better._

Jackie sighed and rubbed her face against my neck. I blushed and squeezed her hand as I rested my cheek on her head. I was careful not to touch the bruise though.

We were both forming bruises on our foreheads from when we had smacked heads together. It was almost funny. It reminded me of those ridiculous couples I used to see at school who wore the same color clothes or matching necklaces. Me and Jackie were a couple with matching bruises. Hilarious.

I laughed a little bit and my shoulder shook.

"What're you laughing about?" Jackie said, not bothering to look up.

"Nothin," I lied.

"Pff, crazy." She murmured, no doubt rolling her big, brown eyes. I smiled again and moved away. I grabbed her face by the chin and tilted her head back. She smiled at me and closed her eyes. Licking my lips I leaned in for another kiss when suddenly…

"Man get outta here you stink!" we heard X-Ray yell from just outside the tent. Jackie immediately jumped up and moved to Zero's cot. He hadn't come back yet. She sat with her back to me and her legs crossed in front of her. I laid down on my cot with my hands behind my head and shut my eyes. All the guys came into the tent at once and started talking loudly. I did my best to stay completely still and pretend like they weren't there.

"Yo Swifty, is Zig asleep?" Magnet asked. I wondered who he was talking to when it started to click.

"Um…who?" I heard Jackie mumble from Zero's cot.

"You!" Squid said, laughing from across the tent. "You took off so fast from that hole!"

"Yea, girl, where'd you learn to run like that?" Armpit asked.

"Um, I used to be on the track team when I was younger," Jackie stammered. The whole tent made a sound of understanding and returned to what they were doing.

"So…I'm Swifty now?" Jackie piped up after a second. I smirked in my 'sleep' at her confusion over her new nickname.

"Oh hell yeah," Armpit said, "You ran like a mad man set free, girl." Everyone laughed at this and I rolled onto my stomach. Cracking one eye open I caught site of Jackie on the cot next to mine. She glanced at me and smiled shyly before also laying down on Zero's cot. She faced me, curled into a ball, until she fell asleep after a few minutes and rolled over. Smirking, I went back to pretending I was asleep.

"Man what happened to Swifty's head?" Magnet asked when he saw she'd fallen asleep.

"Psh, I dunno," Squid murmured. I laughed inwardly and threw my arm over my forehead. _We match._

* * *

**--Jackie--**

The dinner bell rang and I flinched out of sleep. The tent was empty except for Zigzag who was sleeping on the cot next to mine, and Caveman and Zero who sat facing each other on Caveman's cot across from mine. I yawned and stretched out until my lower back popped. With a content sigh I sat up and waved at Caveman.

"See you in the food hall," he called as he and Zero exited the tent. Standing I moved over and sat on zigzag's cot. His arm was covering his forehead and as I move it away I grimaced at the angry bruise that had formed. Frowning I reached up and brushed my forehead lightly.

"Ouch!" I bit my tongue and was nearly brought to tears from the pain.

"I know it hurts, huh?" I just about jumped out of my skin as Zigzag spoke. Placing my hand to my chest I glared at him before shutting my eyes.

"Ugh, I thought you were asleep," I murmured, "you scared me."

"Who could sleep through that bell?" he laughed standing. He was already tall to begin with, but since I was sitting he towered over me. Rolling my eyes I stood up and pushed him slightly. He followed me as I walked out of the tent and towards the food hall.

"Let's go eat," I yawned, rubbing my eye. As we walked I glanced over before sliding my hand into Zigzag's. He looked at our joined hands before meeting my eyes.

"Is this alright?" I asked, getting ready to pull away. He gripped my hand tighter and smiled his funny little smile.

"It's fine." I smiled and we walked hand-in-hand into the food hall. No one paid much attention to us until they noticed the hands. Some immediately grew quite and watched us as we headed for the line. Others leaned over and started talking about us. _God they're worse then girls._

Zigzag and I filled our trays with the gross food and then moved forward to the D-Tent table. While getting our trays we'd released our hands so now I sped up to sit beside Zero. He smiled at me and I winked at Caveman from across the table. Zigzag sat down beside me and started eating silently. I followed suit and started to see what on my plate could be digested. _Girl can not live on bread alone._

"So what's goin on between you guys?" X-Ray demanded from down the table. His voice immediately put me in a bad mood and I glared at him. Zigzag slid his hand under the table and rested it on my knee lightly. I was barely able to hold back the giddy smile that it almost gave me.

"What you mean?" Zigzag asked in his adorable accent, sounding as if he really had no idea what X-Ray was talking about.

"Don't play dumb with me Zigzag!" he hissed. "Whatchu doin with her?" he jutted his chin in my direction and my glare returned.

"I have a name you know," I grumbled loud enough for just about anyone to hear. Everyone grew silent just like the night before and turned to watch us.

"Man you better get _your girl_ to shut her mouth!" X exclaimed standing up and glaring down at Zigzag. I went to stand also, but Zig beat me too it and loomed over the table.

"She can say whatever the hell she wants," he growled so low and menacing that I think X-Ray actually flinched.

"You takin her side?" Armpit asked, surprised. I stood up now and clutched Zigzag's arm.

"There wouldn't have to _be_ sides if X-Ray wasn't being such an asshole!" I hissed, glaring right at the accused. X pushed the table away roughly and stepped out from the bench. I scrambled over mine before Zigzag could stop me. X-Ray stalked over to me until we were standing chest to chest. I glared up into his dirty glasses and smirked.

"What're you going to do Rex?" I spat. "Hit a girl?"

He glared and his fists clenched and unclenched by his sides. I was waiting for him to move; just waiting for him to hit me._ Because if he does me and him are gonna go to __**town**__!!!_

Suddenly wide shoulders were scooting me out of the way and I was standing with my nose pressed to Zigzag's back. Stepping to the side I peered around his arm and watched as he sneered down at X-Ray. He was probably a whole foot taller and looked beyond scary.

"Back off," he said. I smirked cockily at X-Ray as he did just that.

"Alright," he said throwing his hands up, "but I aint gonna forget this Ziggy."

Zigzag turned and wrapped his hand around my elbow. As he turned me around I noticed Caveman and Zero standing behind me. Caveman looked like all this arguing was making him sick while Zero looked about ready to jump on X-Ray. _I guess they're on our side._

"Let's go," Zig murmured, guiding me towards the door. His eyes shot around the room at a mile a minute. Everyone watched us go and Caveman and Zero followed. I glanced back at the table and saw X-Ray leaning over the table whispering to Armpit and Squid. They were watching us too.

I flipped them off just as we passed through the door and into the open air. I sighed and shook Zigzag's hand off my elbow. In return he just snagged my hand in his own and we walked on in silence.

"So uh…when did _this_ happen?" Caveman asked shyly, gesturing to our joined hands. I glanced at Zigzag who had done the same and shrugged.

"Ask Zero," he smirked. Caveman was obviously confused, but didn't say anything.

We reached the tent and I flopped down onto Zigzag's cot. I was exhausted!

"I guess I'm sleepin on the floor again," Zigzag murmured to Caveman and Zero.

I sat up instantly, feeling completely rude. I moved from the cot to the floor, grabbing a sheet as I moved.

"My bad Zig," I stammered, "this is your bed, you should sleep in it."

"Jackie…" Zigzag tried.

"It's insanely rude of me to just assume you'd let me use it anyway." I spoke over him, trying to erase the awkwardness.

"Jackie…" Zigzag said again, sitting on the edge of his cot and staring at me.

"I mean I just got here and I already high jacked your cot last night and then here I am trying to do the same thing and-"

"Jackie!" Zigzag snapped moving till he was inches away from my face. I snapped out of my little rant and met his eyes as he pulled me into a kiss. His lips pretty much smashed into mine and I was glad our foreheads hadn't touched. I moved my lips against his as I moved my hands up to grab his hair. Before I could though he'd grabbed my wrists and held me away.

"Take the cot," he whispered, his piercing blue eyes staying focused on me.

"…ok" I breathed, nodding my head. Scooting onto the cot, I pulled my feet up onto it as Zig moved to the floor.

"That was really weird to watch," I heard Caveman whisper to Zero across the tent. I smirked and curled onto my side. My head hung off the edge of the cot slightly and I watched as Zigzag settled into the sheet, his eyes were closed already. His hands rested behind his head as usual and I smiled at the big purplish mark the was on his forehead.

"Hey Zigzag?" I said softly, not wanting to wake him if he'd already gone to sleep.

"Hm?" he sighed not opening his eyes. I turned onto my back and stared up at the top of the tent.

"Do you think X-Ray will do anything really serious about…us?" I blushed on the last word. It felt kind of weird referring to him and me as 'us'.

"I wouldn't worry bout X," he said after a brief silence.

"Yeah, X-Ray wouldn't try to hurt either of you," Caveman added from his cot.

"Thanks Stanley," I called to him before rolling over again and looking down at Zigzag. He looked so peaceful and I felt bad for messing up his plan of serving his time here in peace without jerks like X giving him a hard time.

He cracked his left eye open and the little blue orb gazed up at me. He opened both eyes at the frown on my face.

"What?" he questioned, curiously.

"I've made a mess haven't I?" I mumbled, staring back at him. He moved his arms to prop himself up to be face to face with me.

"Maybe," he smirked, "but it's probably just as much my fault as yours."

I chuckled a bit and rolled back over.

"Yeah you're right," I giggled, "in fact, it's probably_ all_ your fault."

I heard him huff as he laid back down on the floor. I glanced over and saw that Caveman and Zero had already fallen asleep. I smirked at my two -probably- best friends.

"G'night, Ziggy," I called to the boy on the floor.

"G'night, Swifty," he chuckled. I groaned and closed my eyes. _Hate that nickname._ He laughed even louder

"Night Ricky," I snapped and he grew silent. I smiled in triumph.

"Night Jacqueline," he said just as I was about to slip into slumber. I rolled my eyes groggily and licked my lips. There was one more thing I wanted to say and I wanted to say it before I lost my nerve, or he fell asleep.

"…G'night boyfriend," I said, my voice feeling scratchy with anxiety. I heard his breathing change for a second so I knew he was awake. He didn't say anything though. I squeezed my eyes shut in embarrassment. _Too soon. _

I turned over on my side and curled into a tight ball. I planned on going to sleep and playing the slip off as exhaustion the next day. _Good plan._

"Night girlfriend," he said suddenly. My eyes shot open and I stared ahead in shock. Finally my face split into a smile. Snuggling down into his pillow I fell asleep with the smile still on my face.

* * *

**Ok so that was chapter 8! Jackie finally got her nickname and the story title now makes sense, haha! Phew! I usually don't even take an hour to write a chapter but this took me all day! It's not exactly my favorite but I'm not about to re-write it, lol. So anyway midterms were way easier than I expected and I think I did awesome! Hope everyone else did as well!**

**Thanks so much to di14, SailorSenshi89, Harmony of December, White-Dragon-of-Hope, and Ebony Bowie for reviewing! You guys are fantabulously awesome! Hehe.  
****And thanks so much to everyone else who's read this story so far and added it into their alerts and favs lists. This is officially my most popular story! Woop!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****_~monie_**


	9. 20 questions

**CHAPTER 9:**

**--Zigzag--**

The morning bell sounded and like clock work, Jackie yelped and tumbled off the cot. Only this time I was there and she landed on top of me. Her tiny little elbow jammed into my stomach while he knee went…other places.

"Ah!" I groaned, throwing my head back in pain. Jackie was still half asleep and didn't notice. Instead she actually looked around before resting her head on my chest.

"Jackie, get up," I hissed, still in pain.

"Five more minutes," she sighed, "I'm so sleepy." She snuggled further into me and her breath tickled against my neck.

"Jackie, you gotta get up." This time her only reply was a slight mumble and her hands grabbing the front of my shirt tightly. _This is kinda nice…Stop it!_

"Man, you two need to getta room!" Magnet hollered tossing a pillow at us. It hit Jackie in the back of the head and she sat up.

"Huh? What?" she yawned, rubbing her eyes roughly. She looked down at me groggily as if she'd never seen me before and then smiled. I smiled back and my smile only grew wider when her face turned red at our position. She was pretty much straddling me.

"Dah! Sorry!" she squeaked, scrambling to her feet before helping me up. I shrugged it off and started to exit the tent. She followed close behind and leaned against me as we walked to get breakfast and our shovels. By the time we got there I was convinced she had fallen back to sleep. _She is not a morning person._

"Look alive, Jacqueline," Mr. Sir shouted in passing. She jumped and glanced around before yawning.

"Why cant we start digging two hours _after_ the sun comes up?" she complained, getting in line for breakfast. I smirked as I grabbed the usual tortilla with honey and stuffed half of it into my mouth. I followed Jackie over to the 'Library', where we met up with Caveman and Zero. Caveman looked as tired as Jackie and the two of them leaned on each other before falling back to sleep.

I rolled my eyes at Zero who just shrugged. Leaning against my shovel I started thinking about what Jacqueline had called me the night before. _Boyfriend._

_Was I her boyfriend? I guess that made sense, what with all the kissin. But what'll happen when she gets outta here? Will we keep in touch?_

Staring at her passed out form I had to think not. She was beautiful, and funny. She didn't need a boyfriend who was in a detention camp for setting his school on fire. I frowned and shoved the rest of my tortilla into my mouth. Jackie's still dangled from her hand. She was obviously more interested in sleep than food.

"Alright you girl scouts," Mr. Sir called, walking over to unlock the 'Library'. "Yesterday, two holes were left unfinished." He eyed me and Jackie (who was still asleep). "I don't want none of that happenin today. Or else."

"Yes, Mr. Sir," we all called, as he opened the door. The sound of all our voice woke Caveman and Jackie with a start. Her hair was sticking up all over her head and I smiled at her. She gave a sleepy grin in return before reaching to grab a shovel.

After making sure she didn't take X-Ray's, I grabbed my own shovel and rested it across my shoulders.

"Alright let's go," grumbled Mr. Sir, "and there better be eight holes by the enda the day!"

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jackie glance around nervously before closing her eyes. We all started walking as Mr. Sir lead us to our digging site for the day. Jackie jogged beside me, her legs were too short to keep up while walking.

"So Zigzag," she rasped, "do you live here in Texas?"

"Um…yeah," I said, raising an eyebrow ."Don't the way I talk make it obvious?"

"Oh…well I guess so," she mumbled glancing at her feet. Her shovel was slowing her down considerably and it dragged in the dirt by her feet.

"Do you have any siblings?" she pressed on.

"Why?" This was starting to sound more like an interrogation. My acute paranoia was setting in.

"Just wondering," she sighed, looking defeated. _Damn her face! It's too sweet!_

"I've got two sisters," I replied finally. She grinned and it lit up her face. I liked it a lot.

"Older, or younger?"

"One older, one younger."

"What're their names?"

"My older sister's name is Rachel and the younger ones named Kayla." I looked up at the dim sky and breathed deeply. I hadn't had a thought of either of my sisters in a long time. I never wrote home so I didn't know what was really new, or how they were doing.

"How old are they?" Jackie continued, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Um, Rachel's 18 and Kayla's…almost 5 now." It took me a while to think of Kayla's age because I'd been gone a long time. Her fourth birthday had passed a week before I'd set fire to my school. That was nine months ago.

"Wow," Jackie breathed, sounding sincerely interested. I glanced over as she walked on, lost in thought.

"What about you?" I spoke up. "Any siblings?"

Her face blanked and her body got all rigid. She glanced at me before staring straight ahead again.

"No, I'm an only child," she replied simply. I raised my eyebrow again and wondered what had caused her mood to change like that. We walked on in silence until suddenly she tripped over the edge of her shovel and tumbled into the dirt.

"Umph!" she mumbled as she landed with a dull 'thud'. I helped her up and watched as she dusted her self off, coughing on the dust. She went to go pick up her shovel, but I beat her too it.

"I'll carry it," I sighed, hanging it over my other shoulder. She frowned and shook her head.

"No I can carry it, it's fine."

"Trust me, we'll move faster if I carry it." I nodded toward the rest of D-Tent, who were a good ten feet ahead of us. She sighed before shrugging.

"Alright," she huffed. I smirked and kept walking. She didn't have as much trouble keeping up now and continued on with the random questions.

"Do you have any pets?"

"A dog."

"What's its name?"

"Scrambles," I muttered, remembering the annoying ball of white fur that used to bite at my ankles.

"Scrambles?" Jackie giggled, placing her hand over my mouth. I rolled my eyes and decided to ignore that.

"It's my sister's dog."

"Oh sure it is."

* * *

**--Jackie--**

I dug my shovel into the dirt and threw the pile off to the side. My arms were soar as all hell and the sun was just as hot as yesterday. My hole was maybe 3 feet deep by now. 3 and a half if I was lucky.

"So what's your favorite color?" I called over to Zigzag's dirt pile. He was digging somewhere behind it, out of my site. I'd been drilling him with questions all day. I figured it was an easier and faster way of getting to know him since we couldn't go on a date or anything like that.

_Favorite food: spaghetti and pepsi  
__Favorite animal: iguana  
__Favorite song: undecided  
__Favorite TV show: undecided  
__Favorite activity: playing with fire _(no joke)  
_Number of siblings: 2  
__Number of hated house pets: 1_

And now I was on to his favorite color. Oh yes, I was working some serious couple over-time.

"Red," he finally answered, "or orange."

"You have to pick one," I laughed, throwing aside another shovel full of dirt.

"Ok red then," I heard him say. "What's yours?"

He never asked any question unless I'd just asked it, but that was fine with me. at least he was getting something out of this. Leaning on my shovel I took a moment to think about my favorite color. Looking across the barren lake I licked my lips and sighed.

"Green," I answered, nodding.

"Why green?" He'd poked his head over his high pile of dirt and stared at me, down in my hole.

I shrugged before continuing to dig. "There's not enough of it here," I stated matter-of-factly. He too looked around the lake and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I guess not," he mumbled.

"So what's the worst injury you ever had?" I asked glancing up at him. "Like pain wise."

He squinted into the sun for a second and scratched his arm. I waited patiently, not wanting to rush him and make him uncomfortable.

"I broke my collar bone last year," he said finally. I grimaced and stopped digging to imagine the pain of it. _Ugh!_ I started feeling woozy so I stopped and distracted myself by digging more.

"What about you?" he hopped out of his hole and sat down with his feet dangling into mine. I froze with my back to him as I thought about my worst injury.

"_Jackie look out!"_

I blinked and shook my head. That had happened a long time ago. D_on't think about it and it'll go away._

"Uh…I got hit by a car," I answered truthfully, keeping my back to him.

"What were you doin?!" he asked, sounding shocked. I shrugged, still not facing him.

"Running from the cops," I said, shaking my hair back from my shoulder.

"Was that the day they sent you here?"

"Um, no, I went to the hospital for a few months and then they sent me here," I turned to face him and leaned against the edge of my hole. He was watching me closely and flipping a rock around in his hand.

"What was the damage?" he asked, not breaking eye contact. I furrowed my brow trying to remember all of it.

"Two broken ribs, a shattered knee, twisted my ankle and my wrist, cracked my skull, bruised my entire left side, and got a huge concussion."

"Daaaaaamn, Swifty, I'm surprised you're still standing!" Magnet called from his spot behind me. I jumped and then blushed thinking about him listening in this entire time.

"What'd they catch you for anyway?" Squid yelled from his hole. _He was listening too?! What happened to privacy?!_

"I…I was t-trying to rob a museum," I stuttered, loud enough for Squid to hear.

"A museum?!" Zigzag, Magnet, Squid, Caveman, and Armpit all exclaimed together.

"Girl, what the **hell** was you robbin a museum for?!" Armpit yelled, sticking his head out of the dirt.

"Man, she was probably after them diamonds or somethin! Am I right?" Squid laughed, rolling onto his side.

I blushed a deep shed of red and turned my face down into my hole. I had tried to rob the museum for a dumb reason and I didn't feel like reliving it. I just wanted that entire part of my life to be behind me. After I got out of Camp Green Lake I'd hopefully have a clean slate to work with.

Zigzag must have noticed my discomfort because he stood up from my hole and turned to the other boys.

"Hey leave Swifty alone guys, she doesn't wanna talk about it." He leapt back into his own hole and started digging.

"Man you just wanna keep your girlfriends business all to yoself!" Armpit called making all the other guys besides Caveman and Zero bust out laughing. I rolled my eyes and glanced over at Zigzag. He smiled at me in return. One of his genuine, warm smiles that was infectious. I smiled back.

* * *

**2 Hours Later**

* * *

I was officially finished! Tossing my shovel over the edge of the hole, I wooped in triumph and went to hoist myself up and out of there.

_Slip._

I tried again. My hands scratched against the rough dirt before it gave way and I slid back into the hole.

"Oh no," I gasped. Jumping up I tried again and again I was met with failure. Stepping back I threw myself at the ledge and just barely caught myself as I bounced off of it. Turning all around I realized I'd thrown my shovel too far away for it to be of any use.

"Ugh!" I groaned. Jumping again I clawed at the ground.

_Slide._

At first I'd been annoyed but now I was getting worried. I couldn't be stuck there all night! What if that scorpion came back to finish me off!?

"Help?" I called, glancing around. I knew it was pointless. All the boys had finished way before me. The sun was high above my head, meaning it'd be hours before it got dark and people started to worry. _Crap!_

_Calm down Jacqueline. _I took a deep breath to try and do just that. _Zigzag will realize you're missing. And if not him, Caveman and Zero would _have_ to notice!_

But what if they didn't?

"Help!" I yelled. Nothing. "Somebody?!" I knew I was probably a good mile away from camp, but I wasn't giving up.

"Heeeeeeeeeeel-"

"Jackie, be quite," a deep voice ordered me. I yelped in surprise and nearly jump out of my skin.

"Who- who's there?" I asked, glancing around like a maniac. _Maybe I am a maniac. Who else but a maniac would hear voices a mile away from any other human being?_

"Me," Zigzag yawned, poking his head out from a hole, "who else would it be?"

"Zigzag!" I cried, running to the edge of my hole and standing on tip toe. "What're you still doing out here? I thought you finished a while ago."

"I did," he mumbled, jumping out of the hole like nothing. _Damn tall people!_ He stretched his arms over his head and then looked down on me.

"I stayed behind cause I figured you'd need some help getting outta your hole." He smirked cockily down at me and I glared playfully up at him.

"So you've been asleep in there this whole time?" I questioned, glancing over at his hole.

"Pretty much," he yawned, "till your screamin woke me up."

"I was panicking!" I said defensively. "I didn't know anyone was around to help me!"

"Yeah well, up you go." He reached down and grabbed my wrists in his hands. He pulled me clear out of the ground and placed me down before picking up my shovel from the ground and snagging his out of his hole. Putting them both in one hand and leaning them on his shoulder and took my hand in his free one.

"Let's go back to camp," he said, stifling a yawn. I beamed up at him and stood on tip toe to kiss his cheek. He looked down at me with wide eyes.

"What was that for?"

"For being the world's best boyfriend," I said shyly, ducking my head down. I heard him laugh and then he turned back to the way we were walking.

_He really is the best boyfriend. Kind of like a twisted version of a knight in shining armor who comes to rescue you from sure death in a hole._

I giggled to myself and leaned my head against his shoulder lightly. He squeezed my hand and I squeezed back. I wouldn't have him any other way.

* * *

**Ok so that was chapter 9! There's so much I wanna get to in the coming chapters but it's gonna take me a while. Hope you liked this chapter! Hmmm anyone else think Jackie's acting a little weird about her past?**

**Dun dun dun!!! More to come, lol.  
****Reviews are loved**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	10. Hit the showers

**CHAPTER 10:**

**--Jackie--**

By the time we made it back to camp, I was beyond tired and I had feeling I didn't smell too good. _Nasty!_

Zigzag threw our shovels into a pile of them next to the 'Library' and then lead me too the tent. When we got inside I crawled onto his cot and groaned.

"My body hurts **everywhere**!" I croaked, dramatically. He smirked at me before reaching under the bed and pulling out a towel. I watched carefully as he pushed the front of his jumpsuit down and peeled his shirt off.

"What're you doing?" I quipped, sitting up on the cot.

"Goin to take a shower," he said, rolling his eyes. My own eyes got wide and I jumped up to grab his arm.

"Where is it!? Where's the shower!?" I said, frantically. All the dirt and grime of this place was getting to me and I needed a shower.

He looked at me as if I were crazy before shaking my grip off. "They're right outside," he huffed, heading towards the tent flap. Reaching under my bed I grabbed my knapsack and headed after him. _Did he say outside?_

I followed him outside and halfway across the camp till we came to a row of stalls that I'd never noticed before. The side's were made of wood and there were only there of them, leaving the back part of it completely open. A pipe ran over the top of them with little nozzles hanging over each stall. These _were the showers?_

"Woah, woah, _woah_! Hold on a second!" I said, jogging to stand in front of Zigzag. "I can't shower in there! My whole backside would be on display and the walls only go up to my armpits!"

Zigzag glanced at the 'showers' and back at me a few times before shrugging.

"This is where we shower everyday," he mumbled, glancing around, "I don't know where else you can go."

I clenched my fists around my bag and set my jaw in place. This was absolutely ridiculous! As the only female here I deserved a little privacy! Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw a leather cowboy hat and ugly teeth.

"Mr. Sir!" I called, taking off after the man. "Mr. Sir I need to talk to you!"

"Whatchu want?" he huffed, not pausing to let me catch up. I fell into step beside him and had to catch my breath before speaking.

"I wanted to talk to you," I gasped, "about the shower arrangements."

"What about em?" He spit a sun flower seed into the dirt and I scrunched up my nose.

"Well I can't very well take a shower where the guys do," I stated confidently.

"Why not?" He spat another seed out and glaring at me side ways.

"Well…because I'd be visible to every single person here!" I huffed in annoyance. _Can he really not see my problem, or is he just mean?_

Stopping finally he looked back at the showers. I did the same and blushed before turning away. From where I stood I could see Zigzag scrubbing his soaking wet hair in the streaming water. His bare chest was covered in water and I had to say that I'd never seen him look hotter. _Focus Jacqueline!_

Mr. Sir looked around carefully, before gesturing for me to follow him.

"Come on," he ordered quietly, picking up the pace. I did the same and followed him through the different turns of the camp until we came to a cabin. It was built from wood, just like the rest and had a stunning old model Mustang sitting in front of it. A few of the campers were busy scrubbing it down and every now and again they'd glance at the closest window. Who lives here?

As if reading my mind, Mr. sir open the front door of the cabin and let me in before saying, "This here's the warden's cabin."

I nodded in understanding and took in the inside of the cabin. All in all it was pretty nice. A fan sat in the corner, next to a nice old couch. All the stands, desks, and tables were carved from what looked like mahogany and everything was neatly place. The only weird thing about it was the hundreds of posters and newspaper clippings framed on the wall. Every inch of it was covered!

"Hobby of yours?" I asked Mr. Sir, nodding my head towards the nearest cut out. His only reply was a short grunt before pushing me ahead of him. He pointed off to a nearby hall.

"The bathrooms down that hallway and to the left. Be quick about it."

He stepped out of the front door again and slammed it behind him as he left.

"We're really starting to connect," I scoffed sarcastically. Turning back into the cabin I started towards the hallway, looking over all the newspaper clippings.

They were all really old so they had black and white pictures and the edges were turning yellow. They all seemed to be talking about bank robberies and finally I came upon a wanted poster.

"Kissing Kate Barlow," I said allowed. I'd never heard of her before, but glancing around quickly I realized all of the reports were about her. _Pretty impressive for just one woman._

Shrugging, I continued on to the hallway and followed it down till I got to the bathroom.

It was small but at least it was clean. There was a tiny tub/shower in the right corner which I immediately skipped to. Flipping on the water I turned the nozzle all the way to hot and threw my bag to the floor. Stepping out of my jumpsuit, I took off everything else before jumping into the shower.

The water was scalding hot, but I knew it'd wash away all the filth I'd built up over the last two days. I grabbed some shampoo from my bag and started washing my hair until I felt like it was good enough. After I shaved I stayed in for another fifteen minutes until the water started getting cold.

Turning off the water I stepped out and grabbed a towel from the hook on the door. I wrapped it tightly around me and then picked up my bag. Taking it over to the sink I pulled out a comb and started to yank out all the knots in my hectic hair.

That took about twenty minutes but when I finished I had dried off I searched through my bag for a change of clothes. I didn't see the point of putting on my other jumpsuit since I'd probably fall asleep in these clothes later on. Finally I pulled out a clean pair of under wear, a bra, a black tank top, and some blue shorts.

I smiled at the clean, soft fabric and slipped them all in a rush. I pulled my hair into a pony tail and then slipped on some flip-flops. I packed all my dirty clothes into my bag and grabbed my sneakers off the ground before stepping out of the bathroom.

I felt all new and shiny as I walked down the hallway. Amazing what a hot shower can do. I checked the window before sneaking out the front door and headed off to the tent. I glanced over to the shower as I passed it, but Zigzag wasn't there anymore. _Damn._

I stepped through the tent flap and looked around. Except for Magnet and Squid the tent was empty. No Zigzag, Caveman, or Zero. I sighed and tossed my bag into the corner. Turning to leave I noticed Squid and Magnet watching me with mouths open.

"What?" I snapped at them. They were making me uncomfortable.

"Where'd you get those clothes?" Squid asked after coming back to earth. Rolling my eyes I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I had them from before I got here," I huffed. "Have either of you seen Zigzag?"

Squid shook his head and went back to the card game he and Magnet were playing.

"I think he went to the rec room," Magnet said, shrugging. I nodded my thanks and jogged out of the tent. _Rec room, rec room…where is that?_

I heard a group of loud, male voices coming from one building and decided to make a guess. Scurrying over to the building I creaked the door open and stuck my head in.

Inside dozens of campers stood around doing various things. There was a pool table to my left and a tiny TV sat blaring static in the center of the room. Mostly it was just a bunch of couches and tables. There was a radio on the pool table but it wasn't playing anything_. Big surprise._

Looking to the back of the room, I spotted Caveman and Zero playing pool with Armpit and a few other boys. I headed over, ignoring all the hungry eyes that followed me as I went. Coming up by the table Zero smiled at me and Caveman waved.

"Hey have you guys seen Zigzag?" I sighed, leaning on the table. There weren't a whole bunch of places you could be in a place like this!

"Uh he just left, but he'll probably be back in here soon," caveman replied, scratching his head beneath his hat.

"Really?" I asked, perking up. I could hang here till he got back instead of walking around in the hot sun looking for him.

"Yeah, he's always messin with the TV so you can wait over there," Armpit offered, trying to set up his next shot.

"Ok, thanks guys," I called as I headed towards the couch in front of the TV. No one else was there so I plopped down right in the middle and bounced. Staring ahead I watched as the TV flashed black in white with static. It was probably the oldest bit of equipment I'd ever seen. _It still has antennas for Christ sake!_

Sighing, I stood up and walked over to it. I fiddle with the right antenna, trying to improve the image but it only got worse. I put it back in place and started to wiggle the left one. Slight improvement.

"Ugh!" I dropped into a crouch in front of the stand and grabbed both antennas. "Come on," I grumbled, wiggling them about. _Left? Worse. Right? Way worse. Back? Nothing..._

Suddenly a rough hand came down on my butt and squeezed hard. Yelping, I jumped and spun around, letting my hand fly.

_Slap._

The sound echoed around the room and everything grew quite. Only the static of the TV was in the background.

I looked up and found myself face to chest with a very tall, very angry boy. His hair was slicked back and he glared down at me. The cheek that I had smacked was turning red and the outline of the back of my hand could be seen in it.

"What the hell?!" he yelled, pushing me roughly. I staggered back and knocked the TV off the stand. It smashed to the floor and the static cut off.

"Look what you did!" he growled, pushing me again. Now I bumped into the stand and tripped backwards over it. I landed hard on my butt and groaned in pain. Glancing behind me I saw Caveman whisper something in Zero's ear before the small boy ran out the front door as fast as he could.

"Get up!" the boy hollered at me. I glared at and did just that. He was way taller then me and about three times thicker. Just one of his arms looked like it could snap me in half, but I wouldn't back down.

Brushing myself off I stepped to him and did my best to get in his face.

"Don't touch me!" I hissed. "Just cause I'm the first girl you've seen in months doesn't mean you get to put your hands on me!"

"Shut-up!" he shouted, raising his fist up. _Oh my god, he's gonna hit me! _

_Let him! If he does then you're gonna hit him right back!_

_What?! Have you seen this guy?! He could _eat_ me!_

_Do it!_

_Ok!_

I clenched my eyes shut, waiting for him to throw the first punch. Instead I heard heavy footsteps, skin smacking against skin, and a loud grunt. Snapping my eyes open, my vision was blocked by a white shirt. Looking up I recognized an insane head of blonde hair. _Zigzag!_

Moving to his side I smiled brightly at him, but he wasn't looking at me. His eyes were set on the other guy who was trying to balance himself on the couch. _Zig must've punched him. Ha!_

"What the hell you doin?" my blue eyed hero growled at the brown haired boy.

"What's it to you, sicko?" snapped the other guy. I glared at him and clenched my fists.

"You stay away from her," Zigzag warned, meeting the other guy eye to eye.

"Why?" he sneered. "She your little girlfriend or something?"

"And what if she is?" Zigzag grumbled, lacing my hand with his. The big ape threw back his head and started laughing hysterically. Luckily no one else joined in. I gripped Zigzag's hand tighter as my glare deepened. This guy was asking for it! _Of course Zigzag would take him, not me._

The boy finally got control of his self and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. Smilingg evilly at us he snorted and stuck his finger in Zigzag's chest.

"Why would she be with an **insane, paranoid**, pyro **maniac** like you?" He poked Zig with each negative word. "You're a freak!"  
"Go to hell!" I snapped. Turning to me he opened his lips and spit right in my face. There was a room wide gasp as Zigzag's head snapped to the right to face me.

"Ugh!" I shrieked, wiping at my face. "You nasty bastard!"

Zigzag dropped my hand and launched himself at the other boy. His fist landed the first punch and the guy went down. Zig knelt over him and threw punch after punch, wailing on him. _Good!_

Someone touched my shoulder and I turned around to see Zero and Caveman. Stanley used his sleeve to wipe the spit off my fate as Zero watched the fight like his life depended on it.

"Thanks," I sniffed when Caveman pulled away.

"You alright?" he asked, eyeing the fight as well. Zigzag had come to a slight disadvantage and the other guy had landed a punch on his right cheek. Bastard!

"Yeah, fine," I mumbled as the other campers pushed me around, trying to get a better view of the fight. Turning to look down at Zero I shrugged.

"Where'd you go?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged also and glanced over at the crowd. "To get Zigzag."

I nodded and then grabbed their hands to pull them through the other boys. We finally reached the center of the circle and I saw the Zig was winning again.

"Go Zigzag!" Caveman yelled, cupping his hands over his mouth. Zero whistled loudly and I joined in.

"Kick his ass Ziggy!" I screeched. The boys rolled slightly and the other boy punched Zigzag across the face. _Damn! _I winced and covered my eyes while still peeking through the slits. _Oh Zig's winning again!_

"Go Zigzag!" me and Caveman yelled together. Suddenly there was a gunshot and everyone scattered away from the fight. I screamed and threw myself to the ground with my hands covering my head.

"You hoodlums break it up right now!" Pendanski hollered from his spot at the entrance. He was aiming a shotgun just outside the door and his eyes zoomed around. Once I realized no one was trying to kill us all I stood up and went to help Zigzag up.

He draped his arm over my shoulder and winced as I pulled him to his feet. His lip was bleeding and his right eye would probably be black by the next day. I threw a glare over my shoulder at the other guy and saw he was in worse shape.

His lip was cut open and his nose was so obviously broken. Both of his eyes were starting to get swollen and his left cheek was purplish. _Ha! That's what he gets!_

I helped Zigzag as he limped slightly and went to stand by Caveman and Zero.

"Jacqueline! Ricky!" Pendanski yelled, as the other campers started filing out of the room. I brought Zig over to him with Zero and Caveman's help.

"Who started this?" he asked when we reached him.

"That guy," I grunted, nodding towards the other boy who could barely stand. "He was about to knock my lights out when Zigzag got here."

Pendanski didn't look convinced and I fought the urge to choke him. He nodded as move campers exited until it was just me, Zigzag, Caveman, Zero, and Armpit who hadn't been far away the entire time.

"I think we need to have a sharing circle tonight D-Tenters," he said finally. I scrunched my face up in confusion.

"A what?"

"Theodore will explain it to you," he said too loudly for my liking, "now I suggest you take Ricky back to the tent and get him cleaned up. He will be required to attend the circle. Bleeding or not."

I sneered at him and readjusted my hold on Zigzag's arm.

"Fine," I grumbled, "come on guys," I called over my shoulder.

We exited the rec room last, me and Zig in front while Caveman, Zero, and Armpit followed behind us.

* * *

**Ok so that was chapter 10! It was all in jackie's POV and I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be all in Zigzag's POV. I was going to upload it last night, but the submission part of the website was down! Gr! I want to update again tonight since the next chapter is super important, but I don't know if ill get the chance. Either way I hope you liked this chapter!**

**Reviews make me smile!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	11. the sharing circle

**Ok this chapter is super important to the story! It's told all from Zigzag's POV but it's focused on Jackie. Ok.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 11:**

**--Zigzag--**

I limped into the empty counselors' cabin with Jackie's help. A circle of chairs was set over in the corner. Mom was already sitting in one of the chairs. His arms were folded across his chest and he held his trademark clipboard.

Jackie helped me over to a chair and sat down next to me. Armpit had told her all about sharing circles and she wasn't happy about it at all. Caveman took the seat to her right. Zero was right after him, followed by X-Ray, Armpit, Squid, Magnet, Mom, and then me.

"Jacqueline," he said finally, "since you're the new camper, why don't you take the seat of honor?" He gestured to the seat Armpit was sitting in. "I'm sure Theodore would not mind switching with you."

Jackie glanced at me sideways to which I shrugged. She nodded mutely and got up to switch with Armpit. When she got settled she was sitting directly across from Mom. She held onto the edges of the wooden chair and bit her lip nervously.

"So…" Mom said, once everyone had focused back on him, "I think this sharing circle should be about what we like." We all groaned and leaned down low in our chairs. "How about we start with you Magnet," he said, swiveling his eyes over to Magnet. "What do you like?"

The boy shrugged and clapped his hands together. "I like animals."

"Man isn't that why you're in here?" Squid laughed. Jackie squinted and turned to Magnet.

"What happened?" she asked sounding really interested.

"I got caught stealin a puppy," he snickered. Jackie giggled, being the only one who'd never heard the story besides Caveman.

"And why would you do something like that?" Mom asked, pretending to be thoughtful. _He's so full of it._

"Man its criminal how they keep em locked up in cages!" Magnet whined, looking depressed. He was an extreme animal lover.

"No Jose, what you did was criminal," Mom corrected raising an eyebrow. "You boys are here because of one person," he called, before turning to Caveman, "do you know who that is Stanley?"

"Yeah," Caveman said, nodding slowly, "Yeah I do…" We all leaned closer to hear if he'd really say it. If he'd really blame _himself_ for the trouble he was in.

"…My no-good, pig stealing, great, great grandfather that's who!" We all busted out laughing and Armpit slapped Caveman on the back. Mom didn't laugh along and waited for us all to settle down before speaking.

"You boys have one life." He held up one finger. "And so far you've done a pretty good job of screwing it up. You could do anything you want if you just put your mind to it." All of us rolled our eyes at this. Mom turned to Zero and pointed to the boy. "I mean even Zero isn't completely worthless."

At this Jackie sobered up and glared at mom.

"You cant say that!" she snapped, automatically going to Zero's defence.

"I can say whatever I want in the sharing circle," Mom said coolly, "that's the whole idea, Jacqueline"

Jackie crossed her arms defiantly and turned her glare towards the door.

"So what do you like to do Zero?" Mom asked, turning back to Zero.

"Man, he don't talk to no one but Caveman and Swifty," Armpit laughed, rubbing his stomach.

Mom glanced at Jackie for a moment before turning back to Zero.

"You think you're better than us Zero?"

He didn't answer. Instead he looked over at Jackie, who refused to be apart of the conversation. Switching to Caveman he shrugged his shoulders. Stanley nodded slightly at Mom and the younger boy leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"I like digging holes," he said. His voice was scratchy and unused. I hadn't heard him speak since he'd asked Caveman about a pair of shoes his first day.

"Well then you're in the right place," Mom shot back, "buddy-boy."

Jackie scoffed loudly and turned to glare at Mom again.

"Why can't you just leave him alone?" she hissed, nodding at Zero. "He doesn't bother anyone."

Mom laughed and scratched his head before re-crossing his arms. He leaned back in his chair and eyed Jackie closely. I glanced back and forth between the two quickly. I didn't like the way he was smiling at her.

"Well then how about you Jacqueline," he stated calmly, "what do you like to do?"

Jackie didn't answer and just kept glaring. _Her face is gonna get stuck like that._

"You know," Mom mused aloud, "just because your parents were bad people doesn't mean you have to be."

All eyes snapped to Mom and then to Jackie. She had gripped the edge of her chair again and her eyes were cold and indifferent.

"My parents weren't bad people," she stated. Her voice was barely above a whisper and her tone sent a shiver down my spine.

"Are you sure about that?" Mom asked sarcastically. Reaching behind his chair he pulled out a tan folder that was bursting with papers. He opened it to the first page and skimmed it before looking back at Jackie. "It says here that they abandoned you."

All eyes went wide except for Mom's and Jackie's. Her eyes only grew smaller until they were slits that were shooting daggers at our councilor.

"If that's true," Mom continued, "they couldn't have been that great of people. I mean it says here you were only fourteen and they left you to fend for yourself in the middle of New York City. Tisk, tisk."

I looked at Jackie with pity, but she had dropped her gaze to her lap. Mom kept flipping through her file until he found something else.

"You lived on the streets for three months before a police officer found you and took you to child services. They couldn't find your parents because apparently they'd fled the country without you."

By now Jackie's grip on her seat was so tight that her knuckles were white with the strain. Everyone was watching her. _Observing her._

"After that you showed a certain disregard for authority and a habit of causing trouble," Mom stated, never lifting his eyes from the file. "You ran away from seven different foster homes, in four different states until you were adopted by the Walker family eighteen months ago."

"Stop it." Jackie growled. She looked up and I saw that tears had pooled over in her eyes and now ran tracks down her cheeks. A few dripped into her lap as she spoke. "I thought this sharing circle was supposed to be about what we like. I don't like talking about the Walkers," she snapped.

"Why not?" Mom countered. He smiled evilly, his teeth shining in the dim light. "Is it because you don't like thinking about them?"

Jackie clamped her mouth shut as more tears ran down her face.

"Is it because when you lived with them, you weren't the _happiest camper_?"

_What's he talking about?_

She opened her mouth to say something, but a just barely audibly whimper came out. I was worried for the chair as her fingers dug into the bottom of it. She shut her mouth again and bit down hard on her lip. Mom leaned forward; he pulled some small sheets out from the folder and smirked.

"Is it because they beat you, Jacqueline?" Her head whipped to the side as if she'd been slapped. She stared towards the door and stayed silent.

He tossed the small sheets onto the ground in the middle of the circle and we all saw that they were pictures_. Pictures of Jackie._ But none of them were full body shots. One showed her stomach and abdomen. It was bruised everywhere, with yellowish welts creeping up her side. Another showed her right eye. A cut ran through the eyebrow and it was surrounded by a purple and red bruise.

_Her arm with a man's boot print stamped into it._

_Her lip, swollen and bleeding._

_Her lower back with a series of seeping wounds on it. _They looked like cigarette burns_._

_Her wrist with bluish finger prints wrapped around it._

_Her shoulders, her legs, her neck, her side, her hands, her face. _Practically every inch of her.

I turned back to Jackie and she was still facing the door. Tears were flowing from her eyes uncontrollably and she was biting her lip so hard it had started to bleed. I wanted to get up and comfort her but I couldn't make myself move. I was stunned. It seemed too awful to think about. That at some time Jackie had been beaten mercilessly by people who had chosen to be her new parents. I glanced back at Mom and saw that he had a satisfied grin on his face. _Sick bastard!_

"You lived with the Walkers for nearly seven months before one of your teachers reported your injuries after you passed out during track team practice," Mom continued. He seemed hell bent on twisting every single secret out of Jackie's file. "You were removed from their care and placed in a hospital to have all the cuts, burns, bruises, and fractures taken care of."

Jackie lowered her head slowly and kept looking at the floor like she couldn't hear any of it. But I knew she could. She could and it was killing her. I looked at everyone in the circle and they all had their eyes lowered to the floor still looking at the pictures in shock. Not even Zero and Caveman could take their eyes off them. I for one could barely stomach them.

"You stayed in the hospital for a few weeks before you just disappeared," Mom read aloud. "You hitch hiked all the way here to Texas and started committing small thefts here and there. You went on like that for six months until…" he trailed off, reading the file until his eyes landed on something interesting. He chuckled aloud and flipped the page over.

"You set off an alarm while trying to rob a museum of some priceless artifacts. Being the track star that you were, you ran!" He laughed loudly and smacked his knee. _I could just strangle him._

Finally he got a hold of himself and wiped at his eyes. "You ran through an alley and straight onto a busy street."

I flinched and noticed Jackie do the same out of the corner of my eye.

"_I, uh…got hit by a car."_

"Based on what the police officer chasing you reported," Mom said cockily, "you made it a good two-thirds across the street before you were hit by a pick-up going ten miles over the speed limit."

Everyone in the circle winced visibly and either hissed, imagining the pain, or eyed Jackie up and down. I looked at her too and saw that she had stopped crying and now looked angry again. Her arms were wrapped around her stomach and she was shaking.

"Says here you had an accomplice in the museum, but after you woke up in the hospital you refused to give the police his identity. You were in a coma for about two weeks before you woke up. After that you stayed in recovery for months and after being cleared by the doctor, your personal belongings –some stolen- were packed into a bag and you were put on a bus to Camp Green Lake."

The room grew quite as Mom came to the end of Jackie's story. Everyone was staring at her. She had gone back to staring at her lap, her hair falling forward and blocking her face. Her hands had loosened their grip on the chair and her shoulders had slumped visibly.

I was furious at Mom for doing that to her, but I was also surprised at Jackie for not telling me any of it. After her asking me so many questions and learning so much about me I still barely knew anything about her. Things like favorite colors and favorite foods dimmed in comparison to what I'd just heard from Mom. The closest I'd gotten to any of this was knowing she got hit by a car. I felt kind of betrayed. She didn't trust me. She didn't trust anyone. _But before I met her neither did I._

She looked up at me. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. Her lips were slightly parted like she was about to say something, but couldn't bring herself to do it. I turned away. I couldn't look at her. It wasn't because I was mad at her. I was mad at myself. I felt like I should've known and comforted her, or somehow stopped Mom from telling everyone her secrets.

There was a loud sniff and suddenly wooden chair legs were screeching against the floor. I snapped my head back around and saw Jackie walking towards the door. When she reached it she gripped the handle and turned around. Tears had started falling from her eyes again as she glared at Mom.

"Screw you," she spat before yanking the door open and storming out. This time no one got up to follow her.

* * *

**Okay so that was chapter 11!!! Intense right?! I know! I have a three day weekend so I'll be updating again real soon! Hope you thought this chapter was good. Reviews please!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**

**p.s. thanks again for all the other reviews but thanks sooo much to di14 for reviewing EVERY chapter! You're awesome! And to Hippie Chick and Friends for your great review last chapter! It was so sweet :D you guys rock! And anyone else who reads and reviews does too!**

**Ok that's all!**


	12. As long as you show up

**CHAPTER 12:**

**--Jackie--**

I stormed out of the counselors' cabin and ran to D-Tent. Busting through the tent flaps I wiped my eyes roughly on the back of my hand. I was minutes away from sobbing like a baby I just wanted to be alone. Stumbling over to Zigzag's cot I fell onto it and curled into a ball.

I cried into the pillow loudly and hugged my knees to my chest. Everything ached. My head was killing me from all the crying and my body was soar just remembering the torture that the Walkers had put me through.

My heart hurt the most though. I never liked thinking about my parents because I knew somehow that I hadn't been good enough for them. That's why they'd abandoned me. And I couldn't bear the fact that now all of the guys knew about my life. What an insane loser I was. All my failures were nothing more to Pendanski to words printed on paper. My personal file was the vault for all my secrets to go in and he had opened it up to them.

I sobbed harder when I thought of how the pictures had spilled across the floor. I'd been able to see it all happening out of the corner of my eye. The look on their faces. _The look on Zigzag's face_. It was like I'd been abandoned all over again. _He couldn't even bring himself to look at me._ _I'm such a loser._

I hugged Zigzag's pillow to my chest and buried my head in the top. If I just sat there and smothered myself then the world wouldn't care. I cried louder now and felt like my chest would split open with the effort of it. _It hurts._

It felt like hours went by when really it was only a few minutes before someone walked in through the tent flaps. I wanted to pull myself together, really I did, but I just couldn't stop the uncontrollable sobs that escaped my lips. I squeezed my eyes shut as tears leaked out from beneath my lids.

A heavy hand rested on my shoulder and I sobbed harder. I didn't want anyone's pity. I didn't want any company. I just wanted to be left alone.

"Go away," I cried into the pillow. The persons grip on my shoulder tightened before slipping away. My sobbing eased slightly when I thought they left but suddenly someone sat down on the edge of the bed. My back was to them and they stayed seated there as I cried some more.

Finally the knowledge of someone watching me cry my eyes out became too much and I sat up.

"I said go awa-" as I turned I froze and scooted back slightly. X-Ray sat on the edge of Zig's cot, looking at me strangely. _Of all the guys to come and see me, why did it have to be him?_

"What do you want?" I snapped, hiccupping pathetically.

He shrugged before scratching the back of his head. "Look man, I just came to see if you're a'ight."

"Well I'm not," I hiccupped, "and besides, why should you care?" I glared at him, waiting for a response. He didn't have one. _I knew it._

"Leave me alone." I laid back down and faced the wall. He didn't get up to leave, but I wasn't about to speak with him again. He'd given me the hardest time since I'd gotten here and now he was…well I didn't know what he was trying to do but I knew for a fact he didn't care if I was 'a'ight'.

"Listen Jackie," he said awkwardly, "I know I ain't been the nicest person to you…but what Moms just did in there…that wasn't even ok."

"Don't you think I know that?" I hissed, getting teary eyed again, "How would you like if everything you'd ever done wrong, everyone who'd hurt you, and every time you'd come up short was announced to a room full of people. People you don't even know! People you don't even like!"

By this time I was crying again and I sobbed on the last word. Hugging Zig's pillow tighter I wept into it and waited, again, for X-Ray to leave. Finally he got off of the cot and I heard as his feet shuffled to the door. He stopped at the tent flaps and turned back to me.

"Look Swifty, I'm sorry for the way I been actin. If you ever need anythin…"

I kept my back to him and didn't reply to his offer. Finally he left and I let out a sigh. I couldn't let anyone get any closer. _They'd just see how much I don't deserve their friendship._

* * *

**--Zigzag--**

I sat exactly where I'd been sitting for the last hour. The sharing circle had been over for that long and I hadn't moved. I still sat in the uncomfortable wooden chair, staring blankly down at the floor. For a while I'd been staring at Jackie's pictures but Mom had picked them back up and replaced them into her personal file. Now I was just looking at the floor.

After Jackie had stormed out we'd all sat in silence until X suddenly got up and went after her. Usually I would have been beyond suspicious of something like that, but right now I was too shocked.

"_Is it because they beat you, Jacueline?"_

I twitched suddenly and snapped my head to the side. I couldn't look at the floor anymore. It was as if the pictures were still there. Rolling my stiff neck around, I looked up at the ceiling and focused on a spider crawling across the top.

I was alone in there. _Me and the spider._ After X-Ray, Caveman and Zero had left to see Jackie, and then Armpit, Squid, and Magnet had left to go find X to talk about Jackie.

I couldn't do that. I couldn't face her now. I felt useless. Helpless.

I should have stopped Mom from saying all that stuff about her but I hadn't. I should have been able to kick the picture aside and say 'it don't matter', but I couldn't. I should have followed Jackie immediately after she left the room to go comfort her, but I hadn't. I was a useless piece of skin and even more useless boyfriend.

_You're aiming high if you think she'll still be with you._

I blinked, not really seeing anything. I was alone in there. _Me and the spider._

"Zig?" said a voice suddenly. I blinked again. _I didn't even hear the door open. I'm losin my paranoid touch._

"Zigzag?" the voice called again. It was Squid.

"What?" I asked hoarsely. Staring at the ceiling was starting to hurt my neck, but I had to watch the spider. It had stopped when Squid spoke but now skittered across the ceiling. Slowly, but surely heading towards the left wall.

"Man you gotta go see Swifty," he said, rubbing his neck. I rolled my head to face him.

"I don't think I can," I muttered slowly.

"Whatchu mean?" Squid asked, stepping closer. I side and looked back at the ceiling.

"I dunno if I could face her after what just happened, Squid,"

I said truthfully.

"Oh come one man she needs you," Squid insisted, taking his toothpick out of his mouth.

I thought about what he said and laughed. It was a weird sound. Not like how I'd laughed when Jackie first got here. It was sharp and hollow sounding. Like it could echo on forever, and ever.

"No body needs me," I sighed. _Especially not Jackie._

"That's not true Zig now get your ass up and go see your girl," Squid ordered, shaking the back of my chair. I stumbled out of it and turned to glare at him.

"Don't you understand!?" I snapped at him. "I cant help her with this! I can't protect her from things that have already happened! There's nothing I can do for Jackie now, so she doesn't need me!"

I panted heavily after shouting. Knocking my chair over in annoyance I sank to the ground and rested my head in my hands. I felt like it was about to be split open and the insides would explode. Squid stayed standing for a few minutes before moving to sit beside me. I kept my head in my hands as he chewed thoughtfully on his toothpick.

"Well she didn't ask you to," he mumbled finally. I glanced at him before returning my gaze to my lap. _He's making no sense._

"What?" I mumbled.

"She didn't ask you to protect her from all the stuff that happened," Squid clarified. "I mean how could you? All the stuff either happened months before she got here or years before she was caught. There was nothin you coulda done."

"I know that!" I snapped at him, "How am I supposed to help her now though!? Got an answer for that!?"

He sat not speaking again for a few minutes when he chuckled lightly. "Well I think actually bein **with** her is a good start."

I rolled my eyes and raked my fingers through my hair in frustration. I could go be with her, but there was no guarantee she'd even want to see me after I took this long to decide what to do. Squid rested his hand on my shoulder and shook me good-naturedly.

"Just give it a shot," he suggested before standing up. Without another word he left and I listened as the door swung shut behind him. I sat and thought about what he said for a while before sighing.

"Alright," I groaned, picking myself off the ground.

* * *

**--Jackie--**

My head was resting in someone's lap. They were stroking my hair gently. I didn't know who it was though. My eyes were closed. My lids felt like they weighed a ton and I just couldn't bring myself to open them. Another person was sitting beside me and holding my hand in theirs. They rubbed my knuckles lightly with their thumb.

My throat was too soar and cracked to tell them to stop. That I didn't like their touches. That I wanted to be left alone.

Someone walked in through the tent flap and suddenly the rubbing hands were gone. The person who had lifted my head into their lap, now replaced it onto the cot and stepped away. _Good._ I sighed shakily and tried to clear my aching throat.

"Where you been man?" someone whispered to someone else. _Caveman? He must have been one of the people touching me. Probably him and Zero._

"I…needed some time to think," said a hushed, Texan accent. _Zigzag!_ My heart picked up pace, and then soon slowed down. _He doesn't want you._ That was for 'd been away thinking about how he was going to dump me most likely.

"She won't say anything or even open her eyes," whispered Zero harshly, "you should have been here."

"Well I'm here now ain't I!?" Zigzag hissed. The other boys didn't answer and I listened as their footsteps moved away from the cot. Zig sat down on the side of the cot and sighed. He didn't say anything though.

We sat in the silence for a while. Every now and again I'd sniffed lightly and sigh. Zigzag would sigh to and shift his weight on the bed. _It's really quite._

"Jackie," he said finally. I wanted to answer but I felt like my entire body had gone numb. Reaching over he grabbed my upper arms and pulled me into his chest. I kept my eyes closed and stayed silent. _Why is he doing this?_

I could hear his heart beat from the spot where he'd pulled my head to his chest. It was beating a little faster then a usual heartbeat. Like he was nervous about something. _Probably about breaking up with you._

"Jackie," he said again, brushing my hair away from my face. "Open your eyes."

My eyes moved around beneath the lids. I didn't want to open them. They were too heavy. But I wanted to be looking at him when he ended it.

Finally I cracked my eyes open. They were swollen and crusty from being closed while crying so long. It was fairly dim in the tent but the light still hurt my eyes. I blinked repeatedly before his face finally came into focus.

His eye was starting to turn purple and his lip was swollen. His hair looked insane like he'd been yanking on the edges. His eyes were wide and looked paranoid as ever. But they didn't jet around the room like usual. They focused in on my face and stayed there.

"Where were you?" I asked hoarsely. It was the first time I'd spoken since X-Ray had come in. I winced in pain because my throat was beyond soar. Zigzag shrugged and tightened his grip on my arms.

"I was just thinkin about some things," he muttered.

"What kind of things?" I asked. I'd meant for the words to be harsh but instead they came out like a small whimper.

He didn't answer for a long time. He just sat and stared at me. In the back of my mind I thought how if this were anyone else besides Zigzag, I'd feel awkward and insecure. But I didn't. I felt almost comfortable like this.

"I'm really sorry Jacqueline," he whispered finally. I raised an eyebrows in confusion. Lifting one of my hands up, I touched his hair lightly. _I'm going to miss his hair after he dumps me._

"For what?" I asked, clearing my throat.

"For not stoppin Mom from sayin all that stuff," he muttered, moving his eyes away. "I've gotta be…the worlds worst boyfriend or somethin."

My heart stuttered when he said that. _He called himself my boyfriend!_

"Look I know you probably hate me but I just wanted to say-"

"Wait…what?" I murmured, interrupting him.

"What?" he questioned, probably wondering why I'd cut in.

"Zigzag why would I hate you?" I asked sitting up on my own. He looked at me like I was the crazy one and then glanced at the floor.

"I wasn't here for you," he said softly, "I just sat in that damn circle for an hour till Squid came and knocked me out of it."

My eyes went wide and I glanced around the tent. _Had an hour really gone by? It seemed like it'd been days_. I shook my head and looked back at him.

He looked so depressed. It was heartbreaking. He obviously felt really bad for not being here.

"Zig," I said, chuckling slightly, "it doesn't matter when you got here, just as long as you came."

He met my eyes and I was mesmerized by the sharpness of them. Ice blue pools surrounded by white. He smiled slightly and shrugged. I smiled too. It was hard since I still felt worthless and exposed, but I was happy that he'd shown up. _Even if it had taken him a whole hour._

* * *

**Ok so that was chapter 12! Not much to say about it so I'll just say the usual! Thanks to the reviewers and I hope you liked this chapter! More reviews make me smile! No flames please!**

**Thanks for reading!  
**_**~monie**_


	13. An interesting find

**CHAPTER 13:**

**--Jackie--**

I walked besides Zigzag sleepily. We were being lead to our digging sight for the day. I was eve more tired than usual since I had stayed up late the night before talking to Zig about everything Mom had said. It'd been kind of awkward at moments but I wanted him to know my side of the story. Reading the story out of a file and hearing it from the person are two totally different things.

Zigzag squeezed my hand comfortingly as we continued walking. He was carrying both our shovels and his free hand was entwined with mine. Everyone else walked a bit ahead of us. They had all come to comfort me the night before. After a while I'd come to the conclusion that they really were fine boys. Even X-Ray had showed some compassion after the sharing circle.

It was weird knowing people who knew all about the Walkers and my parents but it also felt kind of nice. Like a giant burden had been lifted from my shoulders. I didn't have to harbor around the huge secrets anymore, and it wasn't like they were overplaying the whole thing. After some kind words they all went back to acting like nothing had happened. They didn't treat me as if I would break, or whisper behind my back and that was how I wanted it. Normal, for once.

I guess in an odd way they were all like brothers to me. A kind family that I hadn't had before. The only one who wasn't like that was Zigzag. He stood out as more then a brother figure. He was a companion. Something I hadn't had in a long time. Or ever. At least not really.

I was starting to like Camp Green Lake more and more.

"Alright," Mr. Sir called out, turning to face us. "You'll dig here today, if you find anything interestin, make it known you hear?"

"Yes Mr. sir," we all called in unison. I rubbed my eyes in exhaustion. He had said that before, but I still know what counted as an interesting find.

Yawning I thanked Zig for carrying my shovel and set to work. Another fantastic day of digging had begun.

* * *

**--Zigzag--**

I threw a pile of dirt to the side and sighed. We'd been digging for five hours already. I only knew because the lunch truck was heading our way. I looked at Jackie and noticed her watching it nervously. Her hand gripped the handle of her shovel which was half buried in the dirt. Hopping out of my hole I walked over to hers. She glanced at me quickly before turning her eyes back to the truck.

We watched as it pulled up a few feet from Zero's hole and Mom jumped. Jackie took a shaky breath and turned to me.

"I'll get your lunch if you get my water," she offered quickly. I raised my eyebrow at her in confusion.

"I…cant face Pendanski yet," she murmured, "Will you get my water for me?" She held up her canteen to me. I nodded slowly and took it. Mom was already filling up X-Ray's bottle so I rubbed Jackie shoulder quickly and went to take my place in line.

As I walked away I heard her sigh and then out of the corner of my eye, saw her hurry over to the lunch tray. Getting into my usual spot in line, I nodded at magnet and waited my turn.

When I finally reached the front I handed Mom my canteen and waited as he filled it up.

"Beautiful day isn't it Ricky?" he chatted, randomly. I glared at him and didn't answer. "Now it's come to my attention that you and Jacqueline have formed a very special friendship."

I tensed up and didn't reply. I felt like punching him for even speaking Jackie's name. Let alone talking about are 'special friendship.'

"I just don't think that's the best-"

"Can you hurry up and fill the canteen?" I grumbled angrily. He frowned at me and handed it back. I held up Jackie's and waited for him to take it. He just stared at it and etched his face into a fake smile.

"What's that?" he asked like the idiot he was.

"Jackie's canteen," I replied shortly. I didn't like talking to him and he was making this last longer than it had to.

"I'm afraid that if Jacqueline wants water she'll have to come up and get it herself," he recited before flashing one of his ridiculous smiles. _I could just punch him._

I turned on my heal and stalked back over to Jackie's hole. She was sitting on the edge with our lunches in her lap. Two sandwiches, two apples, and about a dozen grahm crackers. I sat down roughly beside her and she looked at me oddly.

"What happened?" she asked around a mouth full of apple. I shook my head and passed my canteen to her. She glanced at it and then back at hers before swallowing. Passing the canteen back to me she stared down into the dirt and sighed.

"He wont let you get my water?" she mumbled. I shook my head angrily and picked my sandwich off her lap. She sighed again and glanced back at Mom. He had just finished filling Caveman's bottle and was staring at Jackie. He flashed a smile and she spun around.

"I can go without water today," she said finally. My eyes snapped to her and I shook my head.

"But Jackie-"

"I don't want to talk about it right now," she interrupted, biting into her sandwich. I shut my mouth and let her eat in peace. I didn't like the idea of Jackie just shrugging off water all to avoid Mom. It wouldn't last long before the heat got to her.

"You can have my water," I told her not leaving room for argument.

"Thanks," she sniffed softly. Wrapping my arm around her shoulder I pulled her to my chest and watched as Mom hopped back into his truck.

"Whatchu got there Caveman?" Magnet called suddenly. I watched as he jogged over to Caveman's hole and hopped down inside. Stanley glanced nervously at X-Ray before sighing.

"Hey, X…I think I found something."

* * *

**--Jackie--**

When Caveman said he'd found something, we all turned to see what it was. X-Ray hopped out of his hole and started towards him. I scrambled out of Zigzag's grasped and followed close behind.

Soon everyone but Zero was crowded around Caveman and passing around what he had found. It hadn't reached e yet, and I couldn't see it properly with all the guys' large hands engulfing it. Finally Zigzag got a hold of it and let me lean over his arm to look. It was a gold tube. A very old gold tube. It reminded me very much of something I'd seen before but I couldn't place it.

"What is it?" Magnet asked curiously.

"Looks like some kind of bullet or something," Armpit murmured. I shook my head slightly. That's wasn't what I was thinking of.

"But it's too big to be a normal bullet and too skinny to be a shot-gun shell," Squid said, scrunching up his face. Zigzag passed it to me and I flipped it over in my hands, rubbing at the dirt.

"Hey there's something written on it!" I rubbed at the dirt more until the little marks became visible. It was a tiny heart. Inside it KB was carved neatly. I squinted at it and frowned. I felt like what I was thinking of was on the tip of my tongue but I just couldn't remember it completely.

"What's it say?" Caveman asked curiously.

"It just says KB," I murmured. Zigzag held out his hand and I dropped the tube into it.

"Yeah…yeah that's Keith Barrenger," he said squinty in the sunlight.

"Who?" Squid asked, pulling his tooth pick from his mouth.

"He was in my math class," Zig answered seriously. Everyone laughed and I had to roll my eyes. _He was so suspicious. _Nudging him with my arm I stood up again. He handed to tube back to X-Ray and I frowned.

"Oh right Zig, you know him, so it must be his," Armpit chuckled.

"Well, looks like I get the rest of the day off," X-Ray said confidently.

"What?!" me and Caveman cried in unison. Zigzag stood up and rested his hand on my arm but I shook him off.

"You cant take the day off, Stanley found it!" I shot at X. _After all his talk yesterday he was still this selfish?_

"Man, you're almost done with your hole, mines gonna take me all day!" Caveman snapped. I nodded and stood by his shoulder. X-Ray frowned and stepped closer. Squid and Armpit flanked him.

_What happened to my caring, decent brothers?!_

"And?" X asked menacingly. _I cant believe him! _

Caveman visibly lost his courage under X-Ray's gaze and faltered.

"So…so why don't you just act like you found it tomorrow morning…that way you get the whole day off.

My jaw dropped and I was just about to say something when Zigzag pulled me away. He steered me back towards our holes and then stopped when we reached mine.

"Leave it alone," he warned quietly. I felt like my mouth chin would touch the floor, I was gaping so wide."How can you say that?" I whispered. "X-Ray cant just take credit for something Caveman found like that! It's not fair!"

"Yeah but if you argue with X about it, it'll only get worse for you and Stanley," he replied looking grim. I shook my head and went to turn away.

"It's not right." I was mad that Zig would just let this happen and I stomped back over to Caveman. Everyone had already departed and X was back to digging.

"Why'd you let him do that?" I hissed, hopping down into the ground with him.

He shrugged and glanced nervously at X-Ray.

"I don't need anymore trouble in here," he murmured.

_What is with these guys and avoiding trouble!?_

"Stanley you have to learn to stick up for yourself!" I huffed, rolling my eyes. "When I was with the Walkers, I never took one beating laying down! I fought back and spoke my mind! You cant let people push you around!"

Stanley turned to me suddenly and looked angry.

"Just be quiet, Jackie," he growled. I blinked in surprise and stood in shock. Caveman had always been so sweet and I'd never even seen him get mad. Frowning I turned away and hopped out of his hole. I walked back over to mine, biting my lip slightly.

Zigzag had already moved over to his own hole and was busy digging. I didn't feel like bothering him with my problems so I just slid into my little hole. Sitting at the bottom I enjoyed the tiny bit of shade it offered and thought to myself.

I hadn't meant to upset Stanley and I was starting to believe I should've just left him like Zigzag had told me. But I'd meant what I'd said. _Said what I meant._ I'd never just let the Walkers hit me for no good reason. Most of the time I provoked the beating because I'd scream and curse at them to the point of them being furious. Mrs. Walker especially couldn't stand my back talk. I flinched slightly remembering it.

I sighed and decided to just let Caveman cool off for a while. Going back I thought, instead, of the little gold tube. It was so familiar and I felt like if I just gave myself time I'd be able to remember.

Sighing one last time, I rested my head against the dirt and closed my eyes. The soft beating of shovels moving dirt and dirt hitting the ground made a calming little beat in my head. If I listened closely I could hear some of the guys talking, singing, or whistling to themselves. The closest voice was that of Zigzag. He sang to himself a few feet away. _He has a nice voice. _It was low and rough making everything he said sound lazy and cool. _His accent doesn't hurt either._

"You got to go dig them holes. With broken hands and withered souls. Emancipated from all you know. You got to go dig them holes."

I smiled and rolled my eyes beneath their lids. _Figures he'd be singing about digging in this god forsaken desert_. Rolling my head to the side I listened harder for the rest of the song but now he was just humming to himself.

Picking up the beat I hummed for a little bit too. I wasn't sure if he could hear me or not, but it didn't matter because not long after I started humming I fell asleep right there in my hole.

* * *

**Ok so that was chapter 13! Getting back into the plot of the movie and moving closer to the end! Not a lot happened in this chapter but I'll probably update again later today or tomorrow :D**

**Thanks for the reviews and I hope I get even more reviews soon ;P**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**

**p.s. and for anyone who didn't realise it, the song Zigzag was singing, was the little song from the movie. You know, it was kinda like rap? Those were the words he was singing in the background throughout the song!**

**Ok that's all!**


	14. Kissing Kate Barlow

**Lol, I think this might be the longest I've gone without updating this story (new years resolution; must get life)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 14:**

**--Jackie--  
**_Turning back into the cabin I started towards the hallway, looking over all the newspaper clippings.  
They were all really old so they had black and white pictures and the edges were turning yellow. They all seemed to be talking about bank robberies and finally I came upon a wanted poster.  
"Kissing Kate Barlow," I said allowed. I'd never heard of her before, but glancing around quickly I realized all of the reports were about her. __Pretty impressive for just one woman._

I gasped as I woke up from the dream. _Kate Barlow! KB!_ It all made some form of sense now. That tube had looked familiar because it was a tube of lip stick!

I was so wrapped up in my realization that it took me two minutes to realize I was rocking back and forth. And that my arms were wrapped around someone's neck as they carried me on there back.

Turning my face up, my nose was buried in a head of electric, blond hair. I moved my hand away from Zigzag's shoulder to wipe my mouth.

"Oh _now_ you're awake," he groaned, "now that I've carried you practically all the way back to camp."

I stifled a laugh and rested my chin over his shoulder. Yawning I stretched my arms out in front of Zigzag's face and hugged his back.

"What about my hole?" I wondered aloud. I hadn't finished it before falling asleep and I knew Mr. Sir would be fit to be tied if he found out I'd slacked off **again.**

"Zero and Caveman finished it for you," Zig said, shrugging. Looking over to the right I noticed Zero and Caveman walking besides Zigzag. Both were carrying two shovels instead of one. _Probably mine and Ziggy's._

"Did everyone else already make it back to camp?" I asked glancing up. We were just a few yards away from camp now. Zig had been carrying me for a long way.

"Yep," he grunted, readjusting his hold on me, "I'd be there too if I didn't have to carry you."

"Are you calling me fat?!" I gasped in mock anger. He laughed beneath me and didn't answer. Rolling my eyes I rested my head on his shoulder blade and closed my eyes.

I had to get back in that cabin to see if my suspicions were true. Then all I had to do was…well there wasn't really anything I could do about it, but it'd be nice to know.

Caveman and Zero immediately veered towards the showers when we reached the camp. Zigzag carried me into the tent and unceremoniously tossed me onto the cot. I huffed as I bounced slightly and stared up at the ceiling.

"Whatchu thinkin about?" he asked taking a seat beside me. I furrowed my brow and wondered if I should tell him. I didn't have any real proof yet so he wouldn't fully understand. Sighing I shook my head and touched his arm lightly.

"Nothing," I lied. He shrugged and leaned over me. he propped himself on one elbow and stared down at me. his proximity sent my heart in over drive and my breathing hitched.

"W-what?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. He smiled mischievously and planted a short kiss on my lips.

"Nothin." He grabbed his towel from beneath the cot and walked out the tent. I stared after him and smirked. I was glad I'd chosen him.

Sighing I stood up from the cot and grabbed my knapsack. _Time to go take a shower._

Hurry out of the tent I went as fast as I could –without running- to the cabin Mr. Sir had shown me the day before.

When I reached the door I stopped and took a breath. Lifting my hand nervously, I knocked lightly on the wooden door. No answer. I tried again, harder this time. Nothing.

Grasping the handle I pushed inside and stuck my head in.

"Hello?" I called into the room. It seemed empty and everything was still except for the fan that was turning over in the corner. Hurrying inside I closed the door softly behind me and ran over to the wall. Scanning the newspaper clippings I speed read over the articles.

_Kissing Kate Barlow Strikes Again!_

_Three Bodies Found With Lip Marks on Their Foreheads._

_Barlow Rumored to Have over 100,000 Dollars Hidden Away._

I read the last one carefully and smirked. _I knew it! _Moving even faster now, I scanned the rest until I found one that I was looking for.

_Kissing Kate Barlow Found Dead._

Eureka!

_The notorious outlaw was found dead out in the middle of the dried up lake yesterday morning. Puncture marks in her arm would have people believe she was bitten by a yellow spotted lizard. She was leaning up against an old wooden boat when found. None of her gang were near by. authorities still have no idea where her loads of stolen loot can be found. Her boy was moved to-_

I heard a car pull up outside the cabin and gasped. Ripping the article from the wall I hurried down the hallway and slammed the bathroom door behind me.

* * *

**--Zigzag--**

I scrubbed my face under the ice cold water. I was used to the low temperature of the water after nine months of it. I was sure Jackie wouldn't have been able to handle it.

For probably the hundredth time, I wondered where she had convinced Mr. Sir to let her take her showers. I knew that the warden probably had one, but anyone who was smart wouldn't dare go in there if they didn't have to.

_Well she is new here._

Rolling my eyes, I scrubbed the bar of soap over my chest and under my arms. I heard a small yelp and turned to look behind me. I was just in time to see Jackie picking herself up from falling in the dirt after tripping over her flip flops. Her hair hung wet on her shoulders and she was wearing a too big, grey sweatshirt that said 'Dallas' across the front. The jeans she was wearing were cut off at the knee. She rushed over to me and stopped a few feet away from the side of my stall.

"I have something to show you!" she whispered fiercely. I cocked an eyebrow at her and shrugged.

"Then show me," I said. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I can't now," she huffed, as if it were obvious. She was starting to be a little confusing.

"Well why not?" I asked, raising up a hand to block the water that was streaming onto my face. For whatever reason, Jackie blushed and looked down at the ground. I smirked to myself. _She looks beautiful when she does that._

"You're in the shower," she mumbled, not looking up. I rolled my eyes again and scoffed.

"Jackie, just get over here," I stated. She shook her head and glanced up at me.

"I'm not going to talk to you while you're standing there naked!" she said, glancing around nervously. I laughed loudly and she stared at me as if I were crazy.

"Jackie I've got shorts on!" I laughed. She glared at me and inched closer. Raising her hand to the side of her face she looked around swiftly before glancing over the shower edge. She pulled away quickly and sighed in relief.

I rolled my eyes and continued to wash my arms. All the boys wore swim trunks in the shower. _Why wouldn't we?!_ We all had swim trunks from way back when we first got here. _The place is called Camp Green Lake for Christ's sake! You'd think it'd at least have a lake to swim in._

"So what'd you wanna show me?" I asked curiously. It was obviously pretty important. I switched off the shower nozzle as she took a deep breath and pulled something out of her sweatshirt pocket.

"Jacqueline!" Mr. Sir called from a few yards away. Jackie jumped badly and shoved whatever it was back into her pocket before turning to Mr. Sir. I had stepped from the shower and was rubbing the towel over my head by the time he reached us.

"You got a package," he grunted, spitting into the dirt. My head shot up just like Jackie's. she stepped forward and scratched her head.

"From who?" she questioned, sounding nervous. I knew there was no chance that it was from her adoptive parents, but a part of me still felt worried for her.

"Someone named Daniel Smith," he spat, turning away. Jackie's eyes grew wide and she leapt forward to clutch his arm.

"Daniel?! Daniel sent me a package?! Where?! Where is it?!" she asked in a rush. I narrowed my eyes and huffed. _Who the hell is Daniel?!_

Mr. Sir shook her off roughly and pointed to D-Tent. "It's in your damn tent, now get outta my face!"

Jackie shot towards that tent, squealing happily. I felt my stomach retch in jealousy. Was Daniel some boyfriend from her days on the streets that she'd failed to mention? I stalked after her with my towel thrown over my shoulder.

When I reached the tent Jackie was sitting with her back to me on my cot. She was hunched over a small brown, box. The top was ripped open and she was reading through a typed up letter. Out of curiosity I glanced over her shoulder and into the box.

Inside was a collection of random objects. Shampoo, some books, a CD case with a player just beneath a girl would need while stuck inside a detention camp out in the middle of no where.

Suddenly Jackie laughed and hugged the letter to her chest. Glancing over her shoulder she smiled at me and motioned me over. I sat beside her slowly and watched as she rummaged through the box. I was waiting for her to explain who Daniel was.

She smiled even brighter as she took things out of the box. One after the other after the other. I sighed impatiently but it didn't seem to faze her. Every item brought an even bigger smile to her face until she pulled a tiny doll. It was shaped like a deer and had stains all across its face and strings sticky out of its side. Jackie gasped and hugged it closely to her chest. It sounded like it was filled with sand when it moved.

"What is all this stuff?" I asked in annoyance. It was torture just sitting here watching my girlfriend get all these special things from some guy I didn't even know!

"It's a care package from my brother Danny!" she beamed happily. She held the doll up to my face and shook it. I pushed it away slightly and narrowed my eyes at her.

"I thought you were an only child," I grumbled suspiciously.

"I am," she nodded, not letting me dampen her mood, "he was a son of my third foster family. We're not really related by blood or anything."

I let out a breath I'd been holding and scratched the back of my neck. I was still sitting on the cot in nothing but my swim/shower shorts. Jackie glanced at me again and her eyes softened.

"Did you think he was some secret boyfriend or something?" she teased, shoving me playfully. I laughed and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. Pulling her to my chest I kissed her forehead (the bruise was almost gone) and stared down into the box.

"Well I was hopin not."

* * *

**--Jackie--**

The box from Daniel was filled with everything I needed. Even girl products that I knew were probably embarrassing for him to buy. _He's so considerate!_

Zigzag sat with me while I looked through my box, asking a question every now and again.

"Tell me about Daniel," he said, picking up a Polaroid of my 'brother'.

I smiled and gazed into the box.

"Well when his parents put me up as a foster child, I was only fourteen, he was twenty then."

"He lived with them?" he asked, eyeing my little Bambi doll. I shrugged and flipped through one of my old books.

"He had just moved into an apartment. I got his old room, but he was able to come and go as he pleased, so I saw him a lot."

"What's he like."

I tilted my head to one side trying to find the right words.

"He's very…considerate," I said finally. "He didn't ask a lot of questions about my old foster homes, but was always there to listen if I wanted to talk about it. His parents were workaholics so he'd take me out shopping and to eat a lot."

"Why didn't you move in with him?" Zigzag asked curiously. I laughed and scratched my ear.

"I asked him that onetime," I said honestly, "I asked him to adopt me."

"And…?"

"He…said he wasn't ready to be responsible for anyone besides himself." I frowned remembering the argument we'd gotten into. "I was so angry with him…"

Zigzag bumped his bare shoulder against mine gently. I smiled softly at him and shrugged again.

"It was fine. I understand now what he must've been thinking, but back then I just thought he was being selfish. I ran away right after that."

Zigzag raised an eyebrow but didn't question me any further. Picking up my old CD case I unzipped the side and glanced inside. I smirked, thinking of all the fun I'd have now that I could play music in the rec room.

I glanced sideways at Zigzag and blushed for the hundredth time. He was sitting in his swim trunks still. His body had dried off but his hair still had water droplets sticking to the edges. Everyone and then one would slide off his nose.

My eyes checked him up and down. His broad shoulders. Muscular arms. Flat stomach and smooth back. It was enough to drive a girl mad!

I sighed and looked back into Daniel's box. After I'd been relocated, he and I had written letters and e-mails back a forth. He promised to never loose touch, but when I got to the Walkers I started pulling away from him. He was a common overprotective big brother and I didn't want him to worry about me. He'd just found out I'd been sent to Camp Green Lake after starting a near nation wide investigation.

At least that's how he described it in his letter. I smiled again and closed the lid over the box, leaving only my old doll out. Daniel had gotten it for me as a joke for my fourteenth birthday. It had soon become one of my most cherished possessions. I'd given it back to him before being relocated so that he wouldn't forget me.

Sliding the box carefully under the bed , I scooted closer to Zigzag and rested my cheek against his bare back. Sighing, I ran my finger aimlessly up his spine slowly. He shivered beneath my touch and I chuckled.

"That aint funny Jackie," he grumbled playfully. I giggled and laid down on my back.

"Sorry," I sang lightly. He laid down next to me and I scooted over to make room for him. We rested on our back, staring up at the ceiling for a while.

Besides when I'd first kissed Ziggy, this was probably the happiest I'd been since arriving at Camp Green Lake. Lying here with Zigzag, clutching a doll that my brother had sent to me…I was happy.

* * *

**Ok so that was chapter 14! this chapter was semi important to the rest of the story. KB and all. and the character of Jackie's brother will be talked about more later.**

** Aw shucks you guys, your reviews are so great you're gonna give me a big head *blushes*......Well hats were never my thing anyway so keep em comin, yeah :D lol**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	15. A real keeper

**Sorry for the semi long-ish wait everybody :D I've got a TERRIBLE cold and have been out of school and sleeping in for 3 days. Lol. Getting better so I decided I'd better update while I still have the freedom or readers rip my head off lol**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**CHAPTER: 15**

**--Jackie--**

I grunted as I dug my shovel into the ground. Leaning on the handle I wiped sweat away from my head. _It's sweltering out here!_

"Is today hotter than usual or is it just me?" I called to Zigzag. He just smirked and kept digging. I huffed and sat down in the dirt. In the distance I noticed the water trunk heading our way and glared. I was absolutely _dying_ of thirst and with my luck Pendanski would be serving today.

The truck slowed and turned in a U, the dust jumping up and clinging to my damp jumpsuit. My suspicions proved correct as the floppy-hat-man hopped from the driver's seat and greeted us.

"Good afternoon D-Tenters!" Everyone grumbled and I heard Zigzag come to stand behind me. At dinner last night he'd asked me what I'd do if Pendanski was driving again.

"_I refuse to talk to him!"  
_I grumbled now at my stubbornness. No way was I going up there and begging for water from _that! _

_Damn you pride!_

"Alrighty boys –and girl- come and get it!" Pendanski said with his stupid, cynical, domineering, aggravating…I digress. His _annoying_ smile. There.

Everyone lined up automatically and I giggled as I witness Squid side step Pendanski with nearly all the cookies clutched behind his back. Soon everyone had filled their canteens and I eyed X-Ray as he glanced at Pendanski and jump back into his hole.

"Jacqueline?" Pendanski called. I bristled at the sound of his voice and shot him a glare. Zig's hand was immediately resting on my shoulder. I sighed and leaned against his knees. With the way he was standing, he blocked the sun and I took a well deserved breather.

"Ricky, are you and Jacqueline planning on dehydrating yourselves to prove a point?" he asked in his mock-sincere voice.

Zigzag didn't answer, but instead lowered himself to the ground and took a seat next to me.

"Suit yourselves." _Pig! I mean honestly we could die out here!_

I took a deep breath and turned to stare out onto the lake. The other campers could be scene far out. I wondered for a moment if I'd ever get to know them like I knew D-Tent.

_Why would you want to?_

_Touché._

"Hey Moms, I think I found something."

My neck snapped around (very nearly giving me whiplash) when I heard X-Ray. In his hand he held the tube of lipstick Caveman had found yesterday. It looked as he had rubbed even more dirt on it as he passed it to Pendanski. I sneered and fought the urge to call him out. _How unfair!_

Zigzag wrapped his arm around my shoulder and rubbed my arm. I glanced at him and he smiled at me. I tried to act like I didn't care but it wa s really hard. I watched Pendanski pull out a walkie-talkie as he held up the tube of lipstick.

"Lou," he said, "you might wanna get down here. I think we found somethin."

"Say we found somethin nice!" X called like the big ham he was. I rolled my eyes.

"We found somethin nice," Pendanski repeated.

* * *

**--Zigzag--**

I stretched my hands behind my head as I saw the warden's car speeding towards us. Jackie was watching it to and then glanced back at the water truck.

"Does Mr. Sir drive that car when he's not driving the truck?" she asked suddenly. I thought it was kind of a weird question. _Since when does she care what Mr. Sir drives?_

"Uhm…I dunno." The car was slowing now, its tires spitting up dirt behind it.

"Lou," Jackie mused aloud. She tilted her head to one side and shrugged. "Lou Sir…that's kind of a weird name but-"

"The warden's not married to Mr. Sir!" I said laughing. She stared at me like she was confused and then back at the car which had stopped not far from the water trunk. Jackie turned back to me with her eyebrows raised.

"But…I thought Mr. Sir was the warden."

The car door slammed and we all turned towards the warden. I heard Jackie gasp as she noticed that the warden was definitely _not_ .

The women stalked over to Mom, pulling her red braid away from her shoulder. The two of them bent their heads together quietly before Mom pointed towards X-Ray's hole.

As she stood on the edge of it, she pulled off her sunglasses and smiled down at X. Her smile was eerie and my eyes darted up and down, checking to see if she had some sort of concealed weapon. _Maybe under her cowboy hat…or in those cowboy boots…_

"Mr. Pendanski," she drawled smoothly, "take X-Ray back to camp. Let him have a nice shower, and a snack." She smiled again and Jackie leaned over to me.

"How does she know his nickname?" she wondered. I just shrugged. She'd always known all our nicknames. _She probably has cameras and microphones and heat censors hidden all over the camp. Watching our every move!_

"Oh and Pendanski," the warden called, "Before you do that, fill everyone's canteens!" She said the last part, pasting and even bigger 'smile' on her face and gesturing to the rest of D-Tent.

"Already filled 'em," Mom said enthusiastically.

Quicker then a yellow spotted lizard could kill you her smile faded and she turned on the tiny man.

"Excuse me?" she hissed. All the campers backed off slightly and pretended to ignore them. We all knew that as soon as the warden started saying 'excuse me', it was downhill from there for whoever set her off.

"Well I had just filled the canteens before you-" Mom stuttered.

"Excuse me." The warden glared down at him making him squirm and I knew Jackie was enjoying it when I glanced at her.

"Now these fine teenagers have been working hard. Don't you think it's possible that they have taken a drink since you filled there canteens?"

Pendanski just shrugged and stared at his shoes. Jackie snickered under her breath and I had to bite back a laugh. He deserved it a fter all he'd done to her.

"Caveman," the warden said suddenly, turning to Stanley. "Have you taken a drink since the water truck got here?"

Stanley glanced around as if to make sure she was talking to him and then shook his head.

"Oh, no it's fine I've got plenty…" he stuttered. _Idiot._

"Excuse me?" the warden repeated. Now Jackie went stiff and I was almost positive she was considering standing up to the warden. I grabbed her hand incase she tried and squeezed it.

"…um…yeah I guess I…could've had a little bit," Caveman mumbled nervously.

"Thank you," the warden breathed, coolly, "may I see your canteen please?"

Caveman dropped his canteen into her outstretched hand and she turned back to Mom. Clutching the canteen in both hands she walked back over till she was inches away from his face.

She shook the canteen quickly, letting the water slosh around, never breaking eye contact.

"Can you hear the empty spaces?" she asked Mom.

He rolled his eyes and nodded. By this time most of the boys were laughing at Pendanski and Jackie was back to enjoying the warden.

"Fill it!" The warden pushed him roughly and turned back face us. "X-Ray, into the truck. Zero, take over X-Ray's hole. Caveman will assist you. Swifty, Zigzag, get over to A-Tent's digging site and bring them back here. The rest of you started expanding the edges of your hole to combine with the others. Move!"

Jackie stared at me oddly and I just shrugged. Helping her to her feet we headed off to get the campers from A-Tent.

"Zigzag you remember that thing I had to tell you yesterday?" Jackie whispered, even after we were out of earshot from the others. I glanced at her side ways and nodded.

"Well I know what that gold tube was and who it belonged to!" she beamed. I stopped short and looked down at her.

"Really?" I asked. I had kind of forgotten about the whole incident until X-Ray pulled the tube out. Jackie nodded excitedly and glanced around. _My paranoia must be rubbing off on her._

"That thing was a tube of lipstick, and the KB, stands for Kate Barlow," she said matter-of-factly.

The names sparked something in my brain. We'd learned about that woman in one of my old history classes.

"Kissin Kate Barlow?" I asked incredulously. I hadn't thought about the lesson for a long time so I had no idea what this had to do with anything. And besides, what were the chances that a tube of lipstick belonging to one of Texas' most famous bank robbers would be out here?

"Yes! I was in the warden's cabin and snatched one of her articles. It was talking about how Kate Barlows treasure was never found!"

I rolled my eyes at her choice of words.

"Treasure?" I scoffed.

"You know what I mean Zig!" she snapped. I nodded and kept walking.

"Well even if you are right," I mused, "what're you gonna do about it?"

"Well I'm not gonna dig out here all day so the warden can get rich!" she stated confidently. I rolled my eyes again and stopped. She bumped into me and took a step back. Her hands were placed firmly on her hips. _Women._

"You're gonna get yourself in trouble if you keep tryin to break the rules," I warned her seriously. She waved me off and kept walking ahead of me.

"Don't you worry about me," she called, "I've got this whole thing under control."

"Sure you do," I mumbled under my breath.

"I heard that," Jackie called from a few feet away. I shook my head and followed after her. _I've really chosen a keeper._

**Ok sorry it was so short, but I want the next chapter to have taken place a few days later so I cant add anymore to this or else it'll throw everything out of whack :D  
****Thanks so much to people who read and review and I'll update again sooner rather then later.**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**

* * *


	16. 3 days later

**I am so soooo sorry I haven't updated in such a long time! Believe me when I say school is hectic and preregistration is the worst thing ever invented…ever! Well I hope everyone had a pleasant Valentines Day and Presidents Day, now on with the show!**

**Disclaimer: *sigh* I sadly do not own anything you recognize from Holes, just Jackie.**

**Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 16:**

**--Jackie--**

"Three days," the warden grumbled, "three long days and this is all you little ingrates have to show for it?!"

I cursed under my breath before leaning against the side of on of the giant hole. The sun was hanging mercilessly over head and sweat dripped from my very ear lobes. _Gross!_

"Hey Jackie look at this," Armpit whispered from my right. I rolled my head in his direction and noticed that he had a goofy smile plastered on his face. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"What?" He held his hand out and I noticed a knob from the microwave in the rec room in it. Against his dark, dusty hand it looked starch white.

"So?" I mumbled looking away. The way the warden had been working us the last few days was getting on my nerves a nd I'd started snapping at people. Even Caveman and Zero kept their distance.

_That's what I get for having my time of the month right after something interesting gets found._

"So Ima show it to the warden," Armpit answered, as if I were slow. I stood up straight and glanced around.

"What good is that gonna do? It's just a microwave-"

"Shhh, keep it down!" Armpit instructed me fiercely. I stared at him sideways and finally rolled my eyes.

"You're not going to get a day off for showing her that," I insisted. Armpit just waved me off and pocketed the knob.

"Man, you'll see," he grumbled as he turned away.

"Don't do it Armpit," I called to his back as he walked off towards the warden. He totally ignored me. Sighing I leaned back against the dirt wall and shut my eyes. It's sooo hot.

"Hey shouldn't you be workin, Jacqueline," someone laughed, right in front of me. I blinked my eyes open and glared at Zigzag.

"It's too hot," I stated. He laughed again and through his arm over my shoulder. I groaned as he dragged me through the tunnel like holes until the rest of D-Tent was in site. He picked up a shovel and tossed it to me. I hissed as the wood touched my blistered hands.

"Now dig, girly," he said, pointing to the ground. I rolled my eyes at him and drove my shovel into the ground. Over the last few days he was the only who could stand being around me. I was irritable, paranoid, and emotional. He kept me in check when I started to loose my cool.

"Are you tryin to be funny or do you just think I'm stupid?" came the warden's voice. Looking up I saw Armpit standing on the edge=2 0of the large hole. His back was to me, so I had a full view of the warden. She stood with one hand clutching a pitchfork and the other holding the microwave knob.

"Uh, no ma'am, I wasn't tryin to be funny," Armpit stammered. I frowned at the warden's reaction. She tossed the knob to the side and raised her pitchfork menacingly.

"Well then you must think I'm stupid, boy!" she spat. I noticed Armpit shuffling nervously from foot to foot. By this time all the other D-Tent boys had stopped to watch what was happening. Mr. Sir walked up behind the warden and glared at Armpit.

"You just lost yourself a week of shower tokens," he grumbled before spitting in the dirt. All of D-Tent groaned and yelled insults to Armpits smell and how he'd be sleeping outside.

"But that's not fair!" I called out. Everyone turned to me except Armpit who was stuck in the warden's glare.

"Hush up Jackie," Mr. Sir spat, "'else you'll be out of em too."

"But its not-"

"Jackie calm down," Zig warned, stepping closer to me. I huffed in annoyance and gripped the edge of my shovel tightly. This sort of thing just made me even angrier. No one was going to stand up for him!

"If you ever try to pull this kind of thing on me again, you'll be buzzard food," the warden hissed. Stepping forward she stuck the edge of her pitchfork to Armpit's stomach and pushed him over the edge of the hole. He fell heavily to the ground and the dust flew up all around him. I gasped and ran to his side while everyone else except Zero and Caveman stepped back. Armpit coughed before sitting up and clutching his stomach. Holes from the pitchfork teeth were cut into the front of his jumpsuit. The warden smirked evenly and stepped away from the edge.

"Get back to work!" Mr. Sir informed us. Tossing my shovel aside I ran up the dirt stairs on the side of the hole and glanced around till I spotted the warden.

She was getting ready to step into her car so I booked it around all the other working campers and came to a halt right beside her. Grabbing the edge of the door so she couldn't open it all the way I glared up at her.

"You can't do things like that!" I spat at her. "Armpit could've gotten really hurt!"

Removing her sun glasses, her eyes bore into me and she frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Don't try that 'excuse me' crap! I know you heard me!" By this point I was beyond being held back and I slammed her door shut. "I know what it is you're looking for!" I pointed my finger right between her eyes. "You think you can just make us all dig to death out here till we find Kissin Kate Barlow's treasure and get away with it, but you're wrong!"

I had stepped forward as she backed away and turned around until she was cornered between me and her car. Her eyes sparked in surprise when I mentioned KB, but then she just smiled and put her sun glasses back on.

Reaching out she wrapped her hand around mine and clutched it tightly. "And who's going to believe a little trouble maker like you, huh?" she squeezed my hand tighter and soon it felt like a death grip! I winced and tried to pull away but she held on tight. "You don't know who you're messin with little girl and if you keep poking your nose in where it doesn't belong you're gonna find yourself in one of these holes."

"You cant do that," I stammered, not feeling so sure anymore. She just smiled eerily at me and released my hand. I stepped back and held it to my chest as she slid into her car. The dark window rolled down and she leaned out towards me.

"You'd be surprised."

The cars engine roared to life and she pulled away quickly, very nearly taking my feet with her. I watched the car go and sighed in aggravation. Very suddenly I felt like crying. Damn hormones!

Sniffing loudly and still cradling my hand, I made my was back to the D-Tent section. As I passed Mr. Sir he glanced at me nervously before looking away. Pendanski was no where to be seen.

I made it down into the hole and noticed Stanley seated on the ground clutching his ear. Zero hovered over him and every now and then threw a glare at Zigzag. I rushed over and knelt beside my friends and noticed a gash behind Stanley's ear that was bleeding badly.

"What happened?" I questioned, looking around. Zero motioned his head towards Zig and glared. Zig had his back to us and just kept digging. Standing up I walked over and grabbed his arm.

"What happened?" I repeated. He huffed and tossed his shovel to the ground angrily. His wild hair was caked with dust and his white skin had been nearly burnt red out here these last few days. I could tell that this whole treasure hunt was getting to him too.

"Look Jackie, it was and accident," he insisted, "I didn't know he was standin there and I was just swingin my shovel up and it sorta grazed his ear." He shrugged like it was nothing and I felt rage boil up in my stomach.

_Don't do it Jackie! It was an accident!_

_He should be paying attention! Every minute!_

"Grazed?" I said in disbelief. "Grazed? Zigzag that isn't a graze, you nearly took his ear off!"

"Hey I said it was an accident!" Zig countered, his brow furrowing.

"You should have been watching! Why the hell would you just swing your shovel like that?!" My voice was getting louder on its own and people were starting to stare. So what!

"Damnit he'll be fine! I was movin it to my shoulder and he got in the way!" Zigzag's voice matched mine as far as volume level went and I was only getting angrier. Apparently so was he.

"Well this isn't his fault! Don't try to make it sound like it is!" I knew I was out of line and getting carried away but I was having a really, really bad day!

"So what are you sayin it's my fault?!" He had stepped closer now and we were standing chest to chest. He sneered down at me and I glared up at him.

"Yes it is! You could have hurt him even worse than you did!" I snapped.

"Oh come one! If this had happened the other way around I bet Caveman wouldn't be getting half the shit I am from you!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I hissed, brin ging my voice down low.

"I think you know exactly what it means Jacqueline." His voice was low now too and his eyes sparked in anger. I stepped back and put my hands on my hips.

"Are you trying to say I like Stanley or something?" I asked him loudly. Everyone watching turned their eyes on him and waited for his answer.

"I didn't say that," he grumbled, glancing around, "you did."

"That's ridiculous!" I cried stepping forward again. "me and Stanley are just friends! Same with me and Zero."

"I'm not so sure about that," he quipped, picking his shovel back up. Tears of anger pooled into my eyes and I brushed them away. _Why was he being so…mean?!_

"Stop being so jealous," I said, crossing my arm s.

"I'M NOT JEALOUS!" he shouted, his voice louder then ever. I flinched back and glanced around. His shouting brought me back to reality for a second and I blushed at everyone watching us now.

"Yes you are," I whispered, "but you don't have to be. Stanley is just a friend."

"Whatever." Moving his shovel to his shoulder he stomped off in the opposite direction. Squid glanced at me before taking off after him. Magnet followed a second later. X-Ray just shook his head and bent back down to keep digging. Armpit just shrugged and did the same.

I sniffed again as tears started tracking down my face. Glancing sideways I noticed Stanley and Zero still sitting there staring at me.

"What?!" I screamed at them venomously. They turned away quickly and didn't answer me. I wiped my cheek roughly and moved to grab my shovel. Balancing it on my kn ees, I slid down into a sitting position on the ground and leaned against the dirt walked over and moved my shovel aside before resting his hand on my shoulder. I pushed him away and folded my arms over my knees.

Burying my head in my arms I let a sob escape before sniffing loudly. "Go away," I cried.

I heard Stanley murmur something to Zero before I heard both of them walk away. The only sound left was that of Armpit and X-ray digging. I sighed miserably and shook my head.

_I'm such an idiot._

I sat alone for the rest of the day in the exact same position. Not digging. Not getting lunch. Not talking to anyone. Not even Squid and Magnet when they showed up. Nothing.  
Zigzag didn't come back.

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**meant to post daysss ago but page was down! gr!**

**Ok so that was chapter 16! I didn't mean for them to get in a fight but it just sorta happened, lol. I hope everyone liked it and I hope I still have some faithful reviewers after all this time!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**

**p.s. im in desperate need of a BETA! any takers?**

**p.s.s. i made a website for all my fanfics with charcter pics and stuff :d check it out! adress is on my page**

**ok thats all!**

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	17. Her special nail polish

**Disclaimer: I sadly do not own any characters from the book Holes. I think we all know which D-Tenter I'd be after if I did ;)  
****Enjoy!**

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**CHAPTER 17:**

**--Jackie--**

The morning bell sounded and I jumped out of my sleep. I was curled up on the ground next to Stanley's cot. After I had skipped dinner and laid down to think. Before long I'd fallen asleep right there on the ground.

"Jackie you ok?" came Stanley's voice. Glancing up groggily I noticed him sitting up on his cot. I nodded absently and turned to look across the tent. Zigzag's cot was empty. I sighed deeply and drooped my head down low. I had barely seen him since our fight two days before. It was safe to say I was absolutely miserable.

"Hey come on guys," came Zero's low voice. Stanley and I both looked up at him and moved to follow him out the tent.

After brushing our teeth and grabbing breakfast we all headed to the 'Library' to grab our shovels. Looking around quickly I finally spotted Zigzag picking up his shovel. Someone nudged me from behind I turned to see Stanley nodding towards Ziggy. I nodded my understanding and started towards him.

'_Zigzag I realize I was wrong and I just wanted to apologize so that we can maybe try to start over and-'_

Glancing up I noticed that Zig wasn't even standing there anymore. I spun around and felt my heart drop into my stomach as I saw Zigzag walking off in the opposite direction. He turned his head slightly and glanced back at me. I kicked the ground in despair and felt my eyes prickle dangerously. This harder than I thought.

"Everyone gather round o'er here!" Mr. Sir yelled over the noise. I wiped my eye on the back of my sleeve and turned to him. He was standing on the stairs of the counselor's cabin with his hands on his hips. "After your behavior over the last few days, the warden thought it'd be more appropriate, if you went back to the digging of individual holes."

I scoffed inwardly and grabbed a shovel. Stanley and Zero were waiting for me a few feet away. Once I'd inhaled my breakfast we started following the rest of D-Tent to our digging site for the day.

"How'd it go?" Stanley whispered lowly. I cocked my eyebrow at him in confusion.

"What?" He nodded his head towards Zigzag who was walking at the front of the group. Sighing I shook my head and raised my shovel to my shoulder. I really didn't feel like talking about what hadn't happened. They both seemed to catch on to my mood and we walked on in silence.

* * *

**2 Hours Later**

* * *

"All life begins with water," Mr. Sir prattled at lunch time, "if you think about it, I'm givin you life. Say thank you."

"Thank you Mr. Sir," I mumbled half-heartedly. Four times I had tried to talk to Zigzag. Four times! And every time I was either met with refusal, the cold shoulder, or a rude rebuttal. I was starting to think I had really screwed the whole thing up. To the point where he'd never forgive me.

I squinted into the sun as I sipped my water. It was -as usual- extremely hot out. I could feel sweat running down the back of my neck and making my hair stick to it. _Curse me and my no hair tie bringing ways!_

Mr. Sir finished filling everyone's canteens and making sure they didn't steal too many cookies before hopping in his truck and driving off. The dust spat out from under his tires before settling back to the ground.

I sighed heavily before settling back down into my hole and leaning over the edge lazily. I let my eyes sweep over the rest of D-Tent. Zero, already continued digging. Stanley, following my example and kicking back in his hole. Magnet holding a large brown sack. _Wait…sack?_

"Hey, anyone want some sunflower seeds?" the Mexican boy laughed, holding the sack high. _Oh…my…god. That idiot stole Mr. Sir's sunflower seeds..._

The rest of D-Tent cheered loudly and complemented Magnet on his magnetic finger tips. I just rolled my eyes and shook my head when Armpit offered the bag. Shrugging he tossed it to Zigzag just as I looked over and noticed Mr. Sir's truck making a U turn. Standing quickly I squinted through the dust and saw the truck speeding back in our direction.

"Guys, he's coming back!" I called whipping my head around. The boys all cursed as they turned to see Mr. Sir getting closer. Zigzag dropped his handful of sunflower seeds back into the sack and tossed it at Stanley. It fell with a thud at his feet in the center of his hole. Sunflower seeds spilling out everywhere.

I sighed in frustration at both Zigzag and Caveman. Zigzag had obviously thrown the bag too low on purpose, but Stanley didn't even _attempt _to catch it! Glancing up I noticed that the water truck was only a few yards away and slowing down. Jumping over the short distance I reached down and grabbed Stanley by the collar.

"Get up," I urged him glancing back towards the truck. He stumbled to his feet, trying to push my hands away.

"What? Why?" he questioned in confusion. I just rolled my eyes and took a firmer grip on his collar as I moved him backwards.

"Get. Out. Of. The. Hole!" I growled pushing him the last few feet into my hole. Turning around I noticed that the truck had just come to a stop. Dropping to the ground I spread my arms and legs about like I was making a sand angel; trying to cover up the sunflower seeds.

My stomach flopped as I heard the truck door slam and Mr. Sir start to approach in his heavy boots. I pretended like I'd been lying still for a long time and made a show of examining my finger nails, my free hand propping up my head nonchalantly.

Mr. Sir wove his way through all the other holes till he stood before me. I pretended not to notice him even though his shadow totally covered me. I crossed my ankle in the air and tipped my head to one side innocently. Mr. Sir remained silent as he walked a circle around before stooping down and picking something up from beneath the dirt.

"Now how'd this get here?" he asked as dirt fell off the sunflower seed bag. I gritted my teeth and shut my eyes. "Get up!"

I hopped to my feet and brushed the dust from the front of my jumpsuit. Mr. Sir spit into the dirt and glared at me. He eyed me suspiciously before turning to Stanley. He turned back and licked his lips before pointing at the hole.

"Wasn't this here Yelnats' hole?" he grunted. I shook my head almost too quickly.

"No," I said lowly, "I've been digging here and-"

"Yeah alright," he spat, cutting me off. Raising the sack to eye level he shook it at me. Dust from it fell into my eyes and into my nostrils making me sneeze. "How'd you get this?" he demanded.

"I-" Glancing around I saw all eyes on me. Magnet looked so scared I thought he might wet himself. X-Ray and Squid were glaring as if this were all my fault! Zero and Stanley looked like worried parents, gripping their shovels tightly and moving their eyes between me and Mr. Sir. Finally my eyes fell on Zigzag and I felt my stomach flutter at the site. He looked…scared. Scared and…worried. And maybe just a little guilty.

_Well he should feel guilty! This is his fault!_

_Not the point!_

The point was that if he was scared, worried, and guilty about me getting in trouble then he still cared! He still cared about me on some level! I felt like butterflies would burst from my ears I was so happy! Turning back to Mr. Sir I made sure to keep my facial expression in check before answering.

"I stole it from your truck," I said confidently. He growled and turned to face the other boys.

"Get back to work!" he spat venomously. They all complied, albeit a bit hesitantly. Mr. Sir motioned me towards his truck angrily. "Get movin!" I nodded mutely and stepped around him. "Yelnats, you too!" he called. I spun around to face him.

_I didn't go through all this trouble just to have Stanley still get in trouble!_

"But he didn't-"

"Shut-it girly, I ain't stupid!" he yelled, "I know this ain't your hole."

I cringed away from him and noticed Stanley now stood beside me. He looked down at me, his eyes filled with fear and I shrugged. I didn't know where we were going, just that we had to hurry up and move.

Throwing a glance over my shoulder at Zigzag I shuffled over to the water truck and yanked open the passenger door. Sliding in I cringed as Stanley slammed the door behind us and Mr. Sir slid in on my other side.

"You just wait till the warden here's about this," he grumbled lowly.

I did my best to bite back the snappy remark he had coming. "I don't know why its such a big deal," I mumbled instead.

"It's a big deal cause you need to learn that you cant pull the wool over my eyes!" Mr. Sir leaned in close. I pressed myself against Stanley who in turn pressed himself against the door.

_This water truck ain't big enough for the two of us -manly spit-._

I shot daggers at Mr. Sir as we sped towards the camp. It seemed like sooner rather than later that we pulled up out front of the warden's cabin. I groaned inwardly as I eyed the pitiful building. I was not looking forward to seeing this woman again.

Mr. Sir nodded towards our door and we slid from the truck hastily. The man lead us up to the front door and knocked loudly on the frame.

I shifted my weight from foot to foot as Mr. Sir waited for the warden for the warden to answer. Suddenly the curtain on the door was pulled back exposing the warden. She was halfway into a denim shirt and glanced around before letting her bored gaze fall on Mr. Sir.

"Found something in Caveman's hole," he mumbled, smoothing his hair back. The warden's face lit up and she pulled the door open excitedly.

For a spilt second I felt sorry for her, knowing that she'd be getting nothing but an empty sunflower seed bag. Then I remembered my stinging fingers and scorching skin and the feeling faded. She didn't deserve sympathy.

"Come in, come in!" She ushered us all into the cabin, not forgetting to shoot me a superior smirk before shutting the door behind us. Mr. Sir sat down heavily on the old couch as me and Stanley huddled over in the corner. I had been in the warden's cabin everyday to take showers but never while she was there too. Her presence made the room feel small and confining.

"Well go ahead tell her," Mr. Sir ordered, waving at u. The warden turned to us, her eyes still bright with hope and excitement. _Hate to crush your dreams but- oh wait that's right. I don't care!_

"After getting water today from Mr. Sir," I started slowly, as if building up to something big.

"Yes?" the warden urged me on.

"I was just lounging in my hole when…"

"Yes?"

"When I decided to steal Mr. Sir's sunflower seeds out of his truck." I said it in a rush and then heaved a big sigh as if in relief. As if I'd let a huge burden off my shoulders.

The wardens left eye twitched ever so slightly as I noticed her hand curl into a claw. I let a genuinely pleased smile fall over my face and saw her set her jaw in anger. She had caught on to my little act. She turned away from me and Caveman and made her way to the couch.

Mr. Sir stood and made room for her as she slumped into the cushions. He grinned wickedly and hitched up his pants. The warden breathed deeply and rubbed her forehead before turning back to us. Smiling her snake-like smile she pointed towards the back of the cabin.

"Caveman will you bring me that little, brass case on my shelf over there, please."

Stanley glanced at me nervously before nodding. I tuned out Mr. Sir as he drawled on to the warden about his punishment system. Finally Stanley got back with the case and handed it to the nervous carefully. She smiled and opened the case to pull out a bottle of nail polish.

"Do you know what this is Swifty?" she questioned me, turning the bottle round in her fingers.

"A bottle of nail polish," I said immediately. _What else could it possibly be?_

Still the warden chuckled and shook her head. She motioned me forward until I was close enough for her to grab my arm. She pulled me down onto the couch beside her and snatched my hand over the case.

"This," she said smoothly, unscrewing the top, "is my_ special_ nail polish." She moved the brush across my nail evenly and a shimmering ruby red appeared there. She smiled in pleasure and quickly painted another. "I mix it myself," she mused after finishing a whole hand.

I let my eyes swivel to Stanley and his face reflected what I felt. _This has got to be the craziest thing I've ever seen! The warden chatting idly about nail polish! With me of all people! _

We all sat in a strained silence as the warden painted the finger nails on my other hand. She smiled at me when she finally released my wrist. Her smile was as eerie and as unsettling as ever. It only got worse when she left it plastered to her face as she started painting her own nails.

Mr. Sir seemed to be getting impatient and looked about to say something when the warden spoke up.

"Swifty, do you want to know my secret ingredient for this nail polish?" She turned her eyes on me and I knew it really wasn't an optioned. I shrugged unconsciously before nodding. She admired her own hand for a second before answering.

"Rattle snake venom," she said lightly. My eyes grew wide as I looked down at my own painted nails. _What could happen?! Is it going to leak through my skin and kill me?!_

"Don't worry," she said, as if reading my thoughts, "Its perfectly harmless…" reaching over the couch arm she touched Stanley's cheek lightly. "Once it's dry." Stanley flinched away visibly and the warden sat up straight again.

"So you think Swifty stole your sunflower bag?" the warden asked, finally getting to Mr. Sir.

"No, no I don't," the man said confidently. Both mine and the warden's eye snapped to him in annoyance. "When I got there, she was lounging Caveman's hole so I think she's coverin up for him."

"So then you think Caveman stole your bag," the warden concluded.

"Nope," Mr. Sir said, earning a now furious glare from the warden. "This was a five pound bag of sunflower seeds and I doubt either of these two would steel it for themselves, so think they're coverin for someone like Squid or Zigzag-"

I was about to dispel all suspicion of Zigzag when suddenly the warden lashed out and struck Mr. Sir across his cheek. Glancing at her one painted hand I noticed that lmost all the polished had come off.

Mr. Sir fell to the ground clutching his cheek and howling in pain. Moving quickly from the couch I clutched Stanley's arm and started leading him towards the door. Neither of us could take our eyes off Mr. Sir until the warden stepped in front of us blocking our view.

"I suggest you go back to your holes now," she said smoothly, leaving no room for argument. We both nod mutely and stumble out of the cabin before she slams the door.

"Oh my god," Stanley murmured, " oh my God, oh my G-"

"Yeah, oh my God, let's get out of here!" Grabbing his elbow I set out at a sprint to make it back to the digging site as fast as my legs will carry me.

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**thanks for everyone who reads and reviews and to Nightstar521 for offering to be my BETA :D you all rock!  
Reviews are loved!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	18. Last chance

**Sorry sorry sorry! I know I said I'd update like two weeks ago but I got bronchitis and have been totally down for the count for a while! But now on with the show!  
Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters you recognize from the original Holes book.**

**

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**CHAPTER 18:**

--Zigzag--

"Hey man what's up with you?" Magnet called from his hole a few feet away. I jumped about three feet in the air and dropped my shovel. I'd been on edge ever since Mr. Sir had taken Jackie and Stanley away.

"Nothin," I grunt picking my shovel back up. I should've known that Jackie would try to take the fall for Caveman. If I'd just thought about it sooner I wouldn't have thrown the sunflower seeds at him. Now Jackie was in trouble too and she was already on the warden's bad side.

"Man you been buggin ever since he took Caveman and Swifty outta here," Armpit said. I ignored him and kept digging. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Zero digging Stanley's hole for him. He'd already finished Jackie's. The boy liked to dig that was for sure. _Why couldn't he have tried to help Caveman instead of Jackie?_

"Hey guys look who's comin back," Squid yelled. We all stopped and turned towards camp and saw Jackie and Stanley running back towards the digging site. I heaved a sigh of relief at the fact that she could still stand after seeing the warden.

"Hey we thought you guys were goners," Armpit joked when the two of them had reached us; huffing and puffing. Jackie let go of Caveman's arm and walked silently towards her hole.

"Hey caveman, what you say?" Magnet said. I rolled my eyes at him. If there was anyone who wouldn't sell him out in this place, it was Stanley. Jackie too.

"Nothing," the boy huffed, trying to catch his breath.

"What'd she do to you?" I called, noticing how Jackie wasn't making eye contact with anyone.

"Nothing." I eyed Jackie's back as she noticed that her hole was totally finished. Whatever had happened in the warden's cabin, it wasn't nothing.

* * *

--Jackie--

It was safe to say I was severely freaked out. Sure I'd never gotten along with Mr. Sir but that didn't mean I thought he should be scratched all to hell with rattle snake venom. I shivered under the hot sun as I walked back to my hole. The guys were throwing questions at me but I ignored them all and avoided eye contact. I wanted nothing more than to go back to camp and curl up on my cot. _Well…technically it's Zigzag's cot…but when we were together it was mine…sort of…oh never mind!_

I was temporarily distracted from my train of thought when I realized my hole was finished. Actually done. And well too. Mine were usually more oval shaped and with an uneven bottom so I could hop out of one end.

"Oh wow," I spun away from my whole and glanced around at D-Tent. "Thanks you guys. Its really sweet of you to-"

"It was Zero," came a deep voice. I raised my eyebrow at Zigzag but he kept his face lowered to the dirt. "He finished both your holes."

Looking over I noticed that Stanley's hole was dug too. He was sitting over by Zero and they were talking quietly to each other. Kicking my shovel out of the way I walked over to and plopped down on the edge of Zero's hole. I didn't miss the fact that their conversation ended as soon as I showed up.

"Thanks for finishing my hole, Zero," I said reaching out and pulling him into a hug. He returned it awkwardly and I could see him blushing underneath his hat. Honestly I don't know why I couldn't have fallen for someone like Zero. Or Stanley.

_Because they're nothing like you._

_We have loads of things in common._

_Yeah but neither of them spark a fire in your stomach._

I frowned as I walked back to my finished hole. I sat down on the edge, not ready to go back to camp yet. My life would be so much easier if I'd just stayed away from Zigzag that first day, or taken a liking to someone else. Stanley would have never yelled at me for spending time with another guy. But Stanley also would never challenge me to be tougher and he definitely wouldn't have one that fight on my behalf. When it came right down to it Zig was the right kind of guy for me.

I glanced in his direction and saw that he was lounging in his nearly finished hole. We were almost complete opposites but together we were…awesome! I'd missed him these last few day. I wished that I'd just kept my mouth shut after Stanley got hurt. And now it was too late. I'd screwed up royally and he wouldn't even look at me. My only shred of hope was how worried he'd looked when Mr. Sir was taking me away. But even that was starting to seem like just a trick of the light. Because now it was back to the cold shoulder.

"Hey, Jackie, you coming back to camp?" Stanley asked. He and Zero were already standing, shovels in hand, ready to leave. My eyebrows knit together as I shook my head.

"Um…you go ahead, I feel like staying here for a while." They both looked at me like I was crazy before shrugging and heading back towards camp. Zigzag would've waited for me.

I sighed and stretched out on the ground. It was hot out as usual and I rolled the top of my jumpsuit down to my waist. I was wearing a camisole underneath and reached my arms back behind my head. My legs were still hanging over the edge of my hole. I let my eyes drift closed to block out the sun.

"You know it ain't good to fall asleep in the sun," Squid said, kicking my side gently. I huffed in frustration. There was never a moment of piece here. Sitting up I glared up at him from beneath my hand.

"I wasn't sleeping, I was thinking," I snapped, "and you kicking me is very interruptive." And shrugged as he took a seat beside me. I scooted away from him and glanced back toward his hole. He wasn't finished yet. "What?" I said after sitting in silence for a minute or two.

He swiveled his toothpick around his mouth before scratching his forehead. "Why are you and Zig still fighting?" he asked. My mouth fell open and I turned to look over at Zigzag. He was too far away to hear us.

"I don't think its any of your bus-"

"My best friend is miserable because him and his girlfriend are fighting," he interrupted, "I think its my business."

My stomach fluttered at his words. Zig was miserable?

_That's fantastic! He's sad we broke up!_

_But Squid called you his girlfriend. Are you really broken up?_

_Well I would assume-_

_Don't assume! It makes an ASS out of U and ME._

I grumbled in annoyance and kicked my foot out. I wanted to ask Squid if Zig still called me his girlfriend but it was just so…weird! We weren't really friends and here he was trying to get me and Zigzag back together. Well he was at least being slightly tactful about it. That alone made me feel a little more comfortable.

"Squid?" I started timidly.

"Yeah?""Do…do you think Zig still considers me his girlfriend?" There I said it. Though I seriously wished I hadn't when Squid started howling with laughter. He gripped his stomach and literally fell back in the dirt. I could feel my face heat up with anger and embarrassment. Glancing over my shoulder I saw Zig watching us and it made it about ten times worse. Getting to my feet I kicked Squid hard in the side and started to stomp away. He hopped up and followed after me, clutching his ribs.

"What was that for?!" he cringed.

"You could've just said no! You didn't have to humiliate me!" My eyes were brimming with tears of hurt and anger. I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could.

"Swifty I wasn't laughin at you because the answers no!" I scoffed. "No really! I was only laughin because Zig asked me the same thing about you."

I stopped dead in my tracks. We were probably three yards from the rest of D-Tent. Some of the boys were watching us, including Zigzag. I brought my voice down low so that they couldn't hear us.

"Did he really?" I whispered, prepared to deck him if he was joking. He smirked at me and tossed his tooth pick to the ground.

"Well of course he did, stupid! He's just crazy about you is all!" A genuine smile lit up my face and I felt like my lips would split open. I hadn't smiled in days. Then a thought hit me and I went back to frowning.

"Well then why wont he accept any of my apologies?" I said, tears building up again. I never thought I'd say it but juvenile detention camp was making me soft. Squid smacked my shoulder and laughed again.

"Well you embarrassed him pretty bad with that Caveman thing, and you haven't left his side since."

Now the tears pooled over the brims of my eyes and tracked down my face. Maybe the dirt had obscured his vision or he just didn't know what and upset girl looked like, but Squid looked shocked to see me crying. Like he really hadn't seen it coming. Ha!

"Hey now," he stammered, "it's…alright?"

"I'm so s-sorry," I cried, bowing my face into my hands.

"For what?" he asked.

"For yelling at Zigzag," I hiccupped, "if it had just been a few days earlier it wouldn't h-have happened, I'm just s-sorry." I cried louder now and Squid started sweating with nerves. It was clear he didn't know what to do. _Damn you hormones!_

"Well jeez there's no need to…cry about it…Zig still likes you, he just needs time."

"Isn't two d-days time?! I try and try but he just ignore me." Okay now I admit I was starting to get a little pathetic but I couldn't help it. This was a long time coming and Squid had opened up the flood gates. We were getting a lot of stares from D-Tent. Suddenly Squid tensed up and grabbed my shoulders. "Jackie stop crying right now," he whispered fiercely.

"I-I-I cant," I sobbed, wiping my nose on my wrist.

"Please Jackie!" I just shook my head incoherently. This wasn't working out. I hadn't cried since the day of mine and Zigzag's fight and now I was just loosing it.

"What the hell did you do to her?!"

My heart did a little flip-flop. I would know that voice anywhere. Zigzag strolled up to us, shovel in hand, and glared down a Squid. I realized now why he'd been trying to get me to stop crying. Which I still hadn't succeeded in doing. Having Zig near was just making it worse.

"Nothin, man, nothin. We were just talkin and-" Squid tried to explain.

"Why is she cryin?" Ziggy snapped. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was -again- but I couldn't form a sentence around my crying. This had to be the most embarrassing moment in my entire life. _You got that right._

* * *

--Zigzag--

I'd just been standing there digging when all of a sudden I could hear Jackie crying a bit away. Looking up I saw that she was still talking to Squid and her eyes were red from crying and she seemed to be whimpering something to him. I could just imagine what my face looked like as Squid caught a sideways glance at me.

I hopped out of my hole with my shovel still in my hand. Squid was holding Jackie by her shoulders and she was sobbing loudly. The sound made me boil with rage.

"What the hell did you do to her?!"

"Nothin, man, nothin. We were just talkin and-" he started.

"Why is she cryin?" Jackie's crying picked up and she started sputtering out random words.

"It - it -h-he- and you- I-I-I'm s-s-sor-"

"Jackie calm the hell down," Squid said patting her arm

"What happened?!" I demanded

"Man shut up for a second!" he hissed as he tried to comfort Jackie. Anger boiled up in my stomach and I pushed him back roughly.

"No! What'd you do to her?!"

"Man I didn't do a damn thing!" He pushed me back.

"Bull! Why is she cryin?!" I shoved him in the chest.

"She's cryin because you're bein an ass!" He shoved back.

"Screw you man!"

"Just shut up!"

"Why don't you make me!"

The whole thing got out of hand faster than I could handle. Before I knew it me and Squid were wrestling in the dirt at Jackie's feet. She cried and sputtered over shouting at us.

"S-stop it you g-guys!"

I grunted as Squid landed a punch on my cheek. I punched him in the nose and blood spurted out. He groaned and I used the distraction to tackle him backwards into the dirt.

"Ricky stop it!" I jumped away from Squid and stared up at Jackie. Her faces was streaked with tears and she was shaking from anger. "What the hell is the matter with you?!" she shrieked, rushing over to help Squid.

"I…I just-"

"Squid was only trying to help me! But you wouldn't know because you never listen to anything!" She grabbed Squid under his elbow and helped him to his feet. His nose was gushing blood and I was reminded of the day Jackie cracked my nose. The day we had our first kiss. The day that started it all. _I'm such an idiot!_

"But Jackie I-"

"No!" it came out as a broken sob and I fought the urge to wrap my arms around her. She'd probably just punch me in the face. "No, I've had enough! You just don't get it Zigzag, you don't get it!"

I didn't get it. I wanted nothing more than to understand what she meant but I couldn't wrap my head around it. She threw Squid's arm across her shoulder and started to walk him back towards camp. I moved to reach out and help her but she glared at me.

"Don't," she hissed, "Just stay away from me, Ricky."

I watched as she turned her shoulder on me and walked away. I couldn't help but think that I'd just wasted my last chance.

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**Ok honestly I have no idea how I got this chapter to end the way it did but I didn't want to leave you all hanging! don't worry it'll get better! I'll update again as soon as I can!  
Reviews are loved!**

**Thanks for reading!  
~monie**


	19. Backstabber

**Woohoo! Go Spring Break!!!  
****Disclaimer: I do not own any characters you recognize from the original Holes book.**

**Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 19:**

**--Jackie--**

I wiped my hand across my forehead and sighed. You'd think after nearly a month, digging would be easier but I was as soar as ever. Snagging my water bottle from the ground I took a long drink and then leaned against the edge of my hole. I could see the rest of D-Tent from where I stood. Looking over I saw Zigzag looking at me and we both turned away quickly. I was still beyond frustrated with him but I could deny that him staring at me made me kind of…happy.

Squid was hunched over his shovel and avoided my general direction. After what had happened with Zigzag, only Stanley and Zero felt safe getting near me. Looking over I noticed Zero's hole was already dug and he was helping Stanley finish his. It had been like that for the last few days. I could tell the rest of the boys didn't like it, and honestly neither did I.

_Its completely unfair!_

_You wouldn't say that if you were getting help._

_Oh shut up!_

My ears perked up as X-Ray and Armpit headed towards Stanley's hole. I knew something like this would happen eventually. You cant get away with not doing your share of work for long. X-Ray called Stanley a slave driver as Armpit insulted Zero's intelligence. Later on if either asked I'm sure I'd say I was too busy to defend them. But in actuality I didn't think they deserved it. Stanley was just being lazy and Zero had secrets.

I knew I was right. Whenever I'd walk into the tent towards then end of the day they'd be there. As soon as they saw m they'd stop talking and hide something under Zero's cot. It was maddening. I felt like I was slipping away from them with each passing day. I couldn't talk to them about Zigzag and they wouldn't talk to me about whatever they were working on. For the first time since Id gotten here, I felt like I had no friends.

The lunch truck rumbled in our direction and I grumbled when I saw Pendanski. I was forced to talk to him because now I had no one to get my water for me and Mr. Sir came out les and less with his face looking the way it did. Pendanski always acted like nothing was wrong and went on and on about the importance of team work and other bull like that. It really pissed me off sometimes.

Today I hurried into line and listened to him talk about how the camp was founded. Apparently it had something to do with the warden's granddaddy. like I gave a hoot and a half. Snatching my water with an insincere 'thank you' I moved to grab my lunch. Deciding to skip the bruised apple, I sat down in my hole with my sandwich and cookie.

It was pretty calm out today, not extremely hot but still pretty warm. I chewed thoughtfully on my sandwich until I heard loud voices up top. Standing I saw Zigzag leaning over with a cookie outstretched towards Stanley. I sighed and diverted my eyes.

"Take the cookie, and I'll dig your hole for you," Zig insisted. The rest of D-tent watched excitedly and I felt my stomach knot. My immediate thought was to break them up but I couldn't help thinking Stanley needed a little sense knocked into him.

I watched as the two boys grew heated and Stanley smack Zigzag's hand away. Zig pushed him roughly and he felt to the ground. Stanley got back up coughing and turned his back on Zigzag. He walked towards me and I stiffened. Bad idea.

Zig stomped forward and pushed Stanley again. He fell face first into my hole. The dust kicked up everywhere and I dropped my sandwich in the dirt. My eyes flashed to Zig and I saw that he was raging at Stanley. He didn't even glance my way.

"Get up Stanley," said Pendanski, walking over. This is where I shot into defensive mode.

"They were just playing," I said evenly, "boys will be boys." I noticed Zero look at me in shock out of the corner of my eye and shrugged. "It's not too hot today. Might as well-"

"Oh I know exactly what was going on Jacqueline," he said, leaning on his gun, "get up Stanley. Don't let him bully you, fight back."

I was shocked that he would encourage them, especially since he must've know Stanley didn't have a chance. Glancing over I saw Stanley look at me in desperation and I knew he was expecting me to defend him from Zigzag. It made it even more difficult for me to climb out of my hole and leave him there alone. I locked eyes with Zig for a moment before turning away."That's cold" I heard Magnet whisper to Squid from behind me as I sat down a few feet away and watched as Zigzag tormented Stanley into fighting back. I felt like I had betrayed my best friend but I also felt that he had this coming to him. Everyone does their own work in places like this. Making someone else help you is just asking for trouble.

Stanley tripped, trying to run from Zigzag and Zig landed punch after punch at him. I winced and turned away. I felt terrible, that was for sure. Suddenly I saw Zero jump up and run towards the fight. He rammed right into Zigzag and wrapped his hands around his throat. He was choking him.

Hurrying to my feet I pushed through the rest of D-tent till I was standing right by Zero and Zigzag. Stanley had moved away and was watching on in shock. Zigzag tried in vain to pry Zero's hands away as his eyes rolled up in his head.

"Stop!" I screamed, "You'll kill him!" Pendanski was trying to yell for order but no one was listening. Scrambling around the boys I tried to pull Zero off Ziggy.

"Swifty, stay away from him!" X-Ray yelled. I used all my strength trying to pull Zero away. Zigzag was starting to turn blue. Tears brimmed in my eyes and I wished that I'd just stood up for Stanley.

In one last act of desperation I tackled both boys to the ground and used the momentary distraction to push Zero away. He made another dive for Zigzag but I met him instead and rammed him to the ground. He struggled but I wrestled him down into the dirt until a shot rang out and I was yanked away.

"That's enough!" Pendanski yelled. I realized I was being held against Squid's chest. He kept a restraining arm around my waist. Looking across from me I noticed that Armpit had Zero in a similar hold except was his arm around the boys throat. He glared at me from beneath his disheveled hair and on reflex I glared back and spat at his feet.

"Damn Swifty, I didn't know you were so hard core," X-Ray commented. Smacking my shoulder. I glared at the ground as hot tears of anger welled up in my eyes. Everything was ruined!

I just left one of my friends to be beat up by my ex. Then I'd tackled my other friend for trying to choke my ex while defending other said friend. How much of a back stabber could I be. I slumped against Squid's chest and let my head hang low in shame.

"I'll take her," said a deep, rumbling voice that made my stomach flip.

"You sure?" Squid questioned, his grip on my waist tightening. No answer. Then I was being passed over to Zigzag. I was still slumped over but he supported my weight, practically lifting me off the ground.

"Is Jacqueline hurt?" came Pendanski's voice. _Not like you care._

"I'm fine," I mumbled, not lifting my eyes off the ground. I heard Pendanski mumbling angrily to himself before pulling out his radio.

"You all just wait till the warden hears about this!"

* * *

**--Zigzag--**

The warden glared at all of us as Mom explained what had happened. Jackie was still silent and I was starting to wonder if she'd gone into shock. I knew I almost did. I knew she would probably try to pull Zero off me, that was just the type of person she was. But I'd never expected her to actually throw us both to the ground and then wrestle with Zero.

She was always so defensive of the friendship she had with Zero and Stanley. I knew that besides me, they were the only people she'd felt close with at Camp Green Lake. And yet she had abandoned Stanley to my anger and then gotten in a physical fight with Zero. Clearly she was losing a grip on herself or none of it would have happened the way it did.

"What's wrong with Swifty?" the warden snapped at me. I tightened my grip around Jackie's middle and shrugged.

"After she fought with Zero she kind of…shut down," I mumbled. The warden removed her glasses and glared at me.

"Why'd you start a fight with Caveman in the first place?" she growled.

"It's just the sun," X-Ray said, from my left, "boiling out here in the hot sun all day. Workin. It goes to your head."

"Is that what happened?" the warden asked. I shrugged but nodded anyway.

"Yeah," I mumbled, "just workin out here in the sun all day went to my head. Workin so hard while Caveman sits around and does nothing." Jackie stiffened and I felt her hands reach up and clasp my arm.

"Excuse me, Caveman does the same amount of work as everyone else."

I couldn't help myself. "Sometimes," I muttered. Jackie's nails felt like she was digging into my skin but I didn't flinch.

"Excuse me-"

"Ma'am" Squid cut in, "Zero's been digging a part of Caveman's hole everyday." Jackie slumped again, probably in defeat and I held her up higher so she wouldn't fall to the dirt.

The warden, Mr. Sir, and Mom immediately lit into Caveman and started questioning him up and down.

"Why haven't you been diggin holes?" Mr. Sir spat. Caveman flinched away and stuttered over his answer.

"I-I'm teaching him to read," he stammered finally. Jackie stirred again and it took me a moment to realize she was trying to move away. I let her go and she stumbled before gaining her footing. She looked back at me and then whipped her head away to watch Stanley.

"No more reading lessons!" the warden snapped finally. Jackie's fists clenched at her sides but she didn't say anything.

"But why? Long as the hole get's dug who cares who's digging it?"

"Because you're digging holes to learn a lesson. If Zero digs your hole, you're not learning your lesson!" Mr. Sir spat.

"Besides Stanley," Mom cut in, "you can't teach him anything. He's too darn stupid." Jackie went to step forward but I grabbed her hand and pulled her to my side. She was shaking from anger and I was surprised she didn't deck me then and there.

"You might as well teach a shovel to read." Mom picked up Jackie discarded shovel and tossed it to Zero. "Take it Zero," he said, "it's all you'll ever be good for." He threw his head back in laughter before bending to Zero's eye level. "What does D - I - G spell?"

I couldn't help but pity Zero as his face scrunched up in concentration. Jackie squeezed my hand so hard I thought it might fall of. It looked like Mom had won when suddenly Zero lashed out and slammed his shovel across the man's head.

As Mom fell to the ground, Zero leaned over him. "Dig," he said confidently before booking it in the opposite direction. It was silent until the entire D-Tent bust out into cheers, Stanley's being the loudest.

"GO ZERO!" He ran like the devil, shovel still in his hand, and didn't look back. Jackie watched him go eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

"Get up Pendanski! Don't shoot him! I want round the clock guard on all water supply! Move! Now!" The warden stomped around angrily, pushing anyone who got in her way. She poured Zero's water bottle over Mom and he came to finally. "Everyone get back to work," she growled, "I still expect eight holes." And with that she got back into her car with Mr. Sir and sped away.

I walked back to my hole in a daze. No one had ever run from camp before. It was suicide. This place had the only water for miles around. Jackie was still glued to my side and she seemed to be thinking the same thing, he hand squeezing mine tightly.

"Zigzag," she whispered shakily, "he'll die out there." I pulled her to my chest and she wrapped her arms around my middle. Even if she was right about Zero, I couldn't help but be happy. I'd missed hugging her and I wondered if Zero running away was what would get us back together for good.

* * *

**Ok well we all know what's coming up and I'm going to put a poll on my page about if Jackie should go with Stanley to find Zero or not! I'll leave it open until Sunday! Ok that's it! Reviews are loved!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	20. Serious case of the giggles

**Sorry sorry sorry. I've been super wrapped up in school lately but am determined to finish this story before I completely loose it :D**

**Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER 20:**

**--Jackie--**

I flipped over on Zero's now vacant cot. The day hadn't gone well after he left. I was worried out of my mind and felt terrible for what had happened. It was all my fault. Zigzag had tried to comfort me, but I could barely enjoy the fact that we were talking again. I couldn't focus on anything but Zero. Stanley was ignoring me completely. I'd been tossing and turning all night.

"Jackie go to sleep," Zig whispered from his cot. I felt even worse for keeping him awake. I'd cried ridiculously loud on his shoulder all through dinner. He was probably starving. And now my constant flipping on Zero's cot was keeping him from sleep.

I sighed heavily and rubbed my eye. "I cant sleep. Not when Zero's probably out there somewhere freezing to death."

"It's seventy degrees outside right now Jackie. He's hardly freezing."

I huffed at his callousness but then realized he was probably irritable. I was too honestly. I was hungry and tired and stressed. My head was thumping after crying and my nose and eyes were soar. I was officially a wreck.

"I just…I feel so…responsible for him. It's all my fault." My voice shook and I gasped around a lump in my throat. Suddenly my cot shook as someone sat down heavily on the side of it. Turning over I saw Zigzag yawning in the darkness and felt him pushing me to the side.

"Move over," he murmured. I made room for him on the cot and he lay down on his back. I wondered if he was so out of it he didn't realize how weird this would look when everyone woke up in the morning.

"Um…Zig?" I whispered in the darkness. He shushed me and slung one arm around my shoulder, his eyes closed. "Zigzag you cant just…sleep with me." I was glad it was dark and his eyes were closed so he couldn't see me blush.

"Mmhm, it'll help you sleep," he sighed, barely even awake now. I rolled my eyes and tried to get comfortable. I'd always thought sleeping with someone's arm wrapped around me would be uncomfortable, but it was actually kind of…nice. _Really nice._

I sighed again and tried to not think of Zero. It actually proved to be pretty easy since my mind was swimming with everything Zigzag. Hs smell. His touch. It was like I was on sensory overload. I didn't think I'd ever get to sleep.

* * *

**--Zigzag--**

The morning bell blared and something in my arms jumped, shaking me awake. I groaned and pulled my arm away from whatever 'it' was. _Where am I? _I never slept holding anything before. I couldn't be in Camp Green Lake if I was waking up like this…could I?

"Dang! You guys must be hella quite if none of us heard you gettin it on!" Magnet yelled suddenly.

Sitting up I shook my head to get rid of the fogginess of sleep. Someone tossed a pillow that hit me right in the face causing the D-Tenters to bust out laughing. I growled in frustration and moved to lay down on my stomach for a few more minutes. _Why am I so tired today?_

"Umph!" came a voice as I landed chest first on something that was definitely not my cot. Rubbing my eyes I looked down and saw Jackie wedges between me and the cot. Her face was bright pink and I could feel her heart beating fast where our chests touched.

"What…are you doing?" I asked feeling stupid. I honestly couldn't remember how she'd gotten on my cot. Or when. _What had happened last night?_

Suddenly her features grew agitated and she punched my shoulder hard with her tiny fist. "I knew you were too out of it to remember any of it! God, I should've just kicked you out of bed rather than go through this!" While talking she was pushing my chest to make me move off her but I was heavier and stronger than her. It was like she was trying to move a building.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked, as the rest of the campers started to file out of the tent. Jackie watched them go, her hands shaking as they fidgeted.

"Well I don't know if you've noticed the kind of position we're in. We slept together on the same cot and now everyone thinks we've had sex!" Her voice became nearly hysterical as she went on and I just laughed. She glared at me but I just lowered myself down to be face to face with her. She froze and held her hands to my chest.

"What're you doing? We have to go get breakfast and-"

"It can wait." I'd missed her while we were fighting and things were obviously good again. _Now I just need to kiss her to make it official_.

* * *

**--Jackie--**

My heart was going to fail if it kept up this pace. I was sure Zigzag could feel it since he was so close. I felt beyond awkward at what was happening. Were we back together? We hadn't even talked about it! Not that I didn't want to be of course. In fact this was probably for the best. Yeah!

Breathing deeply I moved my face closer to Zig's. Despite how many teenagers would love to be making out with their hot boyfriends alone in a tent while he's on top…I didn't think this would be as good as our first kiss. There wasn't even music to set the mood.

_Stop over thinking this and kiss him already!_

I nodded mutely and closed my eyes for the kiss. I could hear Zigzag's breathing and thankfully his heart rate was as insane as mine. It was amazing I still had that effect on him after all this time.

Our lips finally met and I sighed as just like the first time, an electric shock went through me making me jump. Luckily Zigzag was pinning me down so I didn't throw him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. I'd missed kissing him most of all. In my head it sounds ridiculous and I'd never say it aloud, but he tasted like sunshine. _Wow, that was ridiculous._

I sighed again and deepened the kiss as much as possible. This was phenomenal! It was just as good as our first kiss if not better. I moved my hands to grab the back of his hair. He sighed and the kiss continued. _Awesome!_

"What the hell do you think your doin?" came a gruff voice. Zig pushed himself off the cot, away from my lips. I snapped my fingers in frustration. _Darn it Mr. Sir!_

"Nothing Mr. Sir," I grumbled sarcastically. _He just had to ruin my moment!_

"Damn right," the cowboy spat, "now get out there and get your shovels. The sun ain't gonna wait for you two!"

Zigzag helped me off the cot and we walked passed Mr. Sir. I fought the urge to glare at him. Letting my temper get the better of me again wouldn't help. Zig lead me to the breakfast cart and handed me the usual. I mumbled a thanks and went to grab a shovel.

The rest of D-Tent watched me as I moved around them to 'The Library.' their smiles could only be described as perverted. Grabbing a shovel I turned and bumped right into X-Ray, Squid, and Magnet.

"So how was it, Swifty?" Squid asked, wiggling his eyebrows. I narrowed my eyes and went to move around them but X grabbed my arm.

"Couldn't have been that good if you didn't scream right?" My mouth fell open in shock. Where the hell did he get off?! Yanking my arm away I shoved him backward.

"Nothing happened you pig! Now get out of my way." They moved aside, laughing as I stomped away. I leaned against the water spigot and watched as Zigzag got the same type of questioning. The only difference was when he shoved X-Ray, the boy fell heavily to the ground. Curse my tiny muscles.

My blonde haired boyfriend stomped back over and threw his shovel roughly to the ground. Glancing at me he shook his head in anger. I just shrugged and fidget with my jumpsuit. I had to say something.

"Zig, maybe we should talk," I mumbled. He went rigid before relaxing and helping me stand. We were walking towards our digging site now. The two of us trailed way behind the rest of D-Tent.

"So…are we…good again?" I felt so stupid for saying it like that but I was a nervous wreck. He sniffed and scratched his head.

"Yeah…I guess so," he laughed, linking his free hand with mine. I smiled and squeezed our joined hands.

"Good, because I just wanted to apologize for how I acted that day. I know it was an accident but truth be told I was having a really bad day and I know that'snot an excuse but-" He kissed me suddenly, making me go silent.

"You're kinda rambling," he teased. My face grew hot and I nudged him with my shoulder.

"Sorry, I jus-"

"Apology accepted," he interrupted, grinning. I sighed in relief and I swear my shoulders felt ten times lighter. I was so happy I could skip. But that would mean letting go of Zig's hand which I wasn't for.

"I'm sorry too," he said after a comfortable silence. My head snapped up and I furrowed my brow.

"For what?"

"For snapping at you like that. And for picking on Stanley so much. I know he's your friend and-"

"_Just _a friend ok? I don't feel anything for Stanley in that way. Or zero," I assured him. He nodded and a genuinely happy smile came to his face. It felt good to see it after all this time. Moving closer I rested my head lightly on his shoulder. This was pure perfection. Now if I could only get my best friend to stop being mad at me and somehow get my other best friend out of the dessert.

"Wait!" someone yelled. Turning around I saw Pendanski running towards us. We weren't far from the camp yet but he looked out of breath which I thought was funny. He really was pretty scrawny. Pendanski ran up to Mr. Sir and murmured something into his ear. He waved his hand over the D-Tenters and pointed in the opposite direction.

"What?!" Mr. Sir barked. Pendanski flinched and continued speaking so low that I couldn't hear. Mr. Sir's face grew angrier each second Pendanski was in his ear. Finally h huffed in annoyance and turned to wards us.

"Alright you lot! You don't have to dig today, go back to camp." He spat angrily and scuffed his boots in the dirt. Everyone cheered and tossed their shovels into the air.

Some of them immediately ran back towards camp. I was about to follow to get more sleep when I heard Pendanski talking to Mr. Sir.

"Sorry, Miriam, but we cant just leave the new camper alone at camp." _Who the hell is Miriam?_

"Get outta here," Mr. Sir growled, "and don't use my real name!" I froze on the spot. Me and Zig had been walking very slowly back to the camp but now stopped. He looked at me funny, waving in front of my face.

"Jackie, you alright?" I looked passed his shoulder as Mr. Sir and Pendanski walked by.

"Come on you two," Pendanski called, "before I change my mind." I kept focused on Mr. Sir until an odd feeling rose in my belly.

"Jackie?" Zigzag checked as my face contorted oddly. He looked worried and rested his hands on my shoulders. "What's wrong?"

_Cant hold it much longer!_

_Wait till their out of ear shot!_

_Oh god here it comes!_

I opened my mouth and a peel of laughter spilled out. Zig backed away for a second but then stepped closer again. My entire body shook in laughter and I bent over my knees. I had a serious case of the giggles.

"Jackie?" Zigzag tried again.

"Aha! Aha! Miriam! Ahahahahaha!" Tears were pooling in my eyes and soon rolled down my cheeks as I laughed. It was just so funny! That a gruff mans man like Mr. Sir was named Miriam! I didn't even know that was man's name!

"Aha! Aha! Miriam Sir! HAHAHAHA!!!!" I clutched my stomach as it started to feel like it would burst open. This was too much! I couldn't stop laughing! Zigzag looked like he'd accepted the fact that I was officially insane. I wanted to share the joke with him but I couldn't catch my breath.

"H-h-h-he- ahahahaha!!!" I stayed bent over my knees as my body convulsed in laughter. I hadn't laughed like this in a really long time. It felt good, but my sides were starting to hurt with the force of it.

Sighing Zigzag leaned over and stuck his shoulder under my stomach. Standing up straight again he walked back towards camp with me, laughing hysterically, slung over his shoulder.

* * *

**Ok so that was chapter 20! Sorry its been a while. This chapter is kind of just a filler of sorts. True its an important chapter but nothing extremely major happened so…yeah. I'm working on the next chapter right now so if I'm lucky I'll have it up later today. If I still have any faithful readers, please review!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	21. Meet Twitch

**Ta-da!!! It's the day you've all been waiting for! YumKiwiDelicious is finally updating her Holes fanfic! Ladies and gentleman hold your applause please :D  
****Hey everyone! I got out of school after exams and wow were they stressful! I took a bit of a breather from updating to enjoy summer but now I'm back on it and ready to write! Ha-cha-cha!**

**Ok, now lemme just take this moment to promote my harry potter fic, The Call. Very good story if I do say so myself and since yesterday I have given it four fantastic updates! 4! In 2 days! Gah!**

**ok enough of that . . . are you ready? . . . I don't think you are :D . . . because here . . . it . . . comes!  
**

**Chapter 21!!!! YaYaYa!!!! Enjoy!!!!**

**--Zigzag--**

I laid Jackie down on the bed once we reached the tent. She was still laughing but it wasn't as bad now. Her eyes were kind of glazed over and her cheeks were red from smiling so much. I liked seeing her like this. It was a big change from the depression she felt over Zero.

"Hey man, what's up with Swifty?" Magnet said when he saw he shaking on the bed. I just shrugged and sat down next to her.

"You ready to share what's so funny yet?" I asked. She laughed some more and used my arm to prop herself up.  
"Oh god," she laughed, "I'm sorry, I am, it's just that…" she stopped to laugh, "Mr. Sir's real name…"more laughing "is…" she completely lost control and fell back onto the cot. I grabbed her shoulders and yanked hr back up.

"no, no you almost had it," I begged, "what's Mr. Sir's real name?"

Her eyes brimmed with tears of laughter as she bit her lip. "Miriam," she breathed, so low I almost missed it.

"…what?"

"Miriam," she repeated, giggling, "His real name is Miriam!" I let her fall back laughing and just gave her a disbelieving look. "It's not even a man's name! Ahahahahaha!"

I shook my head and buried my face in my hands. All that work for Miriam?

It's not even that funny.

I glanced back at her and saw she was turning red from laughing again. I chuckled and leaned over her. She wiped a tear from her cheek and smiled at me.

"D-don't you think it's funny?" she stuttered around fits of laughter. I smirked and leaned in closer to her.

"Not as funny as you," I murmured before kissing her.

* * *

**--Jackie--**

The kiss was enough to shut me up. It soon turned into a full blown make out session and I was completely wrapped up in it until I thought briefly of how Mr. Sir had walked in on us that morning. And of course with thoughts of Mr. Sir came thoughts of his real name. _Miriam? Seriously!_

I started laughing again and my chest vibrated beneath Zigzag's and my mouth started making little 'hmph' sounds. It was just too funny. Zigzag sighed in my lips and pulled away. I smiled apologetically and kissed his cheek.

"Sorry," I murmured, "I just think its soooo funny and-"

"Ricky, Jacqueline?" came Pendanski's annoying voice called through the tent. Looking around I realized Magnet had made his sneaky exit. _Probably when things started heating up._

I smirked as Ziggy pulled me off the cot and we made our way pout of the tent hand in hand. Pendanski waved us over to where the rest of D-Tent was standing.

"Now settle down you boys-" I coughed rudely, "and girl. There's gonna be a new camper in your tent from now on."

I gasped and squeezed Zig's hand a little too tightly. "But…Zero needs that cot."

Pendanski shot me an incredulous look and scoffed. "Incase you haven't noticed, Jacqueline, Zero isn't here."

Zigzag snaked his arm around my shoulders as I bristled. "He could come back and when he does where is he supposed to sleep?!"

"We'll deal with that road when we cross it now stand here and wait for your new tent mate!" Pendanski stormed off and left us standing on the outskirts of the camp. I could feel my temper boiling and the only thing that kept me from attacking the wimpy little man was Zigzag's arm around me.

"Don't worry about Pendanski," he whispered into my ear as the other guys started talking idly.

"How can he be so…insensitive!?" I huffed, turning to face Zigzag. He rubbed his hands up and down my arms.

"Zero is gonna be fine and then he's gonna come back here and give Pendanski what he's got coming." I laughed lowly at this and glanced over my shoulder. While everyone else was talking in one group or another, Caveman stood off by himself. He stared at the ground with glassy eyes. _He looks like he's gonna cry._

I moved away from Zigzag, but snagged his hand in mine as I made my way over to Stanley.

"Stanley?" I said when we reached him. He didn't lift his face but shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He was now leaning _away _from us. "Look I just wanted to say-"

"Hey look, guys!" Squid yelled, "The bus is comin!"

We all turned at the same time to look at the whirl of dust that was driving our way. I smirked as the familiar, ugly, yellow bus came into view. We couldn't even see the driver, the windows were so filthy.

The bus drove closer and showered us in hot dust as it slowed. It finally came to a halt just a few feet from Zig, Stanley, and I. _No…it couldn't be…_

The doors swung open to reveal the same driver who had dropped me off. Somewhere in my crazy brain it registered to me to smile and move forward.

"Bus driver!" I yelled with feeling. The guys shot me odd looks but the man behind the wheel just glared. I skipped forward till I was just outside the steps. "My, my how time has flown! Back to pick me up already! Did you miss me that much?"

"Back away from the bus," he said seriously.

* * *

**--Zigzag--**

I don't know why but Jackie seemed determined to piss this bus driver off. They'd been standing around arguing for nearly fifteen minutes_. If you can call it arguing, Jackie answers every insult with 'I love you too.'_

The rest of the guys were laughing as the man started to lose his temper and Jackie just seemed to get happier. I was enjoying this just as much as the rest of them.

Out of no where Jackie hopped into the bus and disappeared down the isle. We all started howling in laughter as we watched the man struggle to get out of his chair and go after her. After that we couldn't see anything through the windows but we could hear the man shouting obscenities at my girlfriend. Then the two of them appeared in the doorway and he tossed Jackie out on her ass.

I rushed over as she landed hard on her side with a 'thud'. She was laughing while I helped her too her feet even though she was covered in dirt.

"Stay out of my bus!" the man yelled, his forehead sweating and his cheeks turning red. He turned to an unseen person and started shouting. "get out! Out, out, out, out, OUT!"

He shoved a puny boy holding a backpack out of the bus and pulled the doors closed with and angry 'slap!' Then he sped out of the camp like a bat out of hell, leaving the rest of us bent over in laughter as he went.

When we finally got a hold on ourselves we turned to the new kid. He was maybe even shorter than Zero. His brown hair was smooched under a baseball cap and he twitched as we all stared at him.

"What you in for, Twitch?" X-Ray asked menacingly, immediately picking up on his little habit. Jackie shot him a cold look then turned to listen to Twitch's answer.

"Joy ridin," he murmured, his eyes blinking more than any humans should in five seconds.

We all narrowed our eyes at him. Checking him up and down. His twitching picked up until X-Ray shrugged looked over at Squid who nodded.

"Cool."

* * *

**--Jackie--**

"Poor Twitch," I cooed as I walked with Zigzag towards the rec room. "You guys were just trying to give him a heart attack weren't you?" I waited for Zig's reply but he wasn't listening. "Zigzag?"

Looking up at him I realized he was glaring over my head at someone. I turned and saw Twitch fidgeting nervously by the water spigot. I looked back at Zigzag wondering why he would be making that face, and then realized I recognized it. From way back when I had first shown up.

I rolled my eyes and sighed at my boyfriend. "Zig he is _not_ a spy," I assured him.

"You're too trusting," he grumbled, hugging me closer to his side, not moving his eyes off Twitch. I laughed and patted his stomach as we stepped into the rec room.

"Come on, James Bond, let's play some pool."

We walked over to the pool table and everyone greeted us except Caveman. He was standing sadly in the corner with his arm propped up on a pool stick. I frowned and looked back at Zigzag. He followed my eye and spotted Stanley.

Sighing he shrugged and nodded towards our tent mate. I nodded and moved around the pool table to stand by my best friend.

"Hey," I said lightly. He shrugged his reply and I sighed. "Look, Stanley, I'm really sorry about Zero. I know it's all my fault but I know he'll be ok and I'm beyond sorry. I just really want us to be friends again." He didn't move to acknowledge me and I sighed again in defeat.

When I moved to walk away he reached out touched my shoulder. I spun around and noticed he looked on the verge of tears again. Seeing him sad hurt me deeply. I moved forward and hugged him as tightly as I could manage in the sweltering heat. He returned the gesture. _Thanks god._

"It's ok, Jackie," he said lowly, "I don't think it's your fault."

I moved one hand to cover my eyes and sniffed loudly. It ment so much to hear him say that. Even I it isn't true.

"Thank you, Stanley," I whispered.

* * *

**Ok so that was the long awaited chapter 21!!! Woohoo! It feels good to be writing this story again! Im gonna really enjoy finishing it up over summer break! Hope you all thought it was worth the wait! Ill update again SOON! I promise!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	22. Needed

**Chapter 22:**

**--Zigzag--**

I watched Jackie talk to Stanley happily from across the table. It was good to see her so upbeat again, but I knew she wasn't totally happy. Every few moments she'd look to the empty seat next to Caveman and frown. The fact that Zero was missing was even more obvious now that Twitch was there.

I glared down the table at the little boy. His eyes moved faster around the room than mine and his hands never stopped moving. He was either a spy or even more paranoid than me.

I snaked my arm around Jackie's waist and I pulled her closer. She had a knack for attracting socially awkward people to her company, but I didn't want Twitch getting any ideas. Jackie leaned into me as she waved at Twitch and smiled. I grumbled under my breath and she laughed.

"Stanley, what do you think of Twitch?" she asked Caveman across the table. He raised his head from his plate and shrugged. He went to answer but I glared at him and shook my head.

"Uhm…well I don't know he seems sorta shifty," he stammered. I relaxed again as Jackie huffed and leaned her head on my shoulder.

"You guys are way paranoid," she declared, as she took my bread off my plate.

"No, you're just too used to being around felons," I said taking my bread back.

She laughed out loud, drawing the attention of all the D-Tenters. "You guys are far from felons, you're more like…little boys playing a huge game."

"Man, shut up, Swifty," Armpit said. The other guys agreed heartily.

"Yeah, you don't even know why half of us are in here," X-Ray snapped. I shot him a warning look as Jackie stiffened.

"I know why you're in here," she spat, "what idiot goes around selling fake weed? As if you weren't already asking for trouble."

The table went silent and I almost started laughing. It was so much like the first night Jackie was here. Only this time I wasn't accusing _her _of being a spy. Out of nowhere Squid broke out laughing and elbowed Twitch hard in the ribs.

"Twitch you gotta know, Swifty's the spit fire of the group," he joked.

"Yeah she likes pushin X-Ray's buttons, man," Magnet agreed. I laughed as Jackie's face contorted.

"That isn't true!" she said sitting up straight. "X starts way more trouble than I do, I just straighten him out."

"Please, girl, you wish you could straighten me out," X-Ray laughed, waving her off.

"Swifty'll kill you as soon as look at you, Twitch, so don't mess with her," Armpit cut in. Twitch shot Jackie a nervous look but she was glaring around the table.

"Stop trying to make me seem crazy, you guys. I'm not crazy!" The whole table laughed now except Twitch who looked frightened. I moved my hands around her waist and pulled her halfway onto my lap as she pouted.

"Aw, don't listen to em, Jackie," I said, kissing the back of her neck, meanwhile glaring over her shoulder at Twitch. The entire table made a disgusted nose and Squid spit water at us.

"Don't let the way Zigzag acts with Swifty fool you, man," Armpit warned seriously. The table got a bit quieter and Jackie shifted uncomfortably.

"Hell no," X-Ray nodded, "Zig really is crazy."

"He lit his school on fire to get sent here," Magnet cut in. I cleared my throat and everyone shut up. Twitch was flinching at every noise inside the dining hall and it made me smirk. Jackie caught the smirk and shot me a _look._

"Don't worry, Twitch," Jackie said smoothly, "none of us are here to hurt you." The whole table nodded but it didn't help the situation.

* * *

**--Jackie--**

"You guys are horrible,**"** I told Zig as we got ready to go to sleep. "Twitch probably isn't going to get any sleep now thanks to you."

Zigzag laughed as he tossed me a pillow. "He's probably more afraid of you than me."

I huffed in annoyance knowing he was most likely right. I felt bad for the kid in all honesty. When I'd gotten here I'd thought all the guys were crazy criminals. _Or just huge jerks_. I hoped that Stanley would be able to befriend Twitch. I knew Zigzag wouldn't let me anywhere near him until we made sure he wasn't a spy.

"Why do you guys have to give news kids such a hard time?" I wondered as I hurried onto the cot so I could take up the most space. Zigzag smacked my shoulder before laying down next to me, barely even on the cot at all.

"We didn't give you that hard of a time."

"Are you kidding me? Not only was I new but I'm a girl! I got it twice as bad!"

He laughed and it shook us both as he draped his arm across my stomach. "Jackie that isn't even true."

"Yeah huh it is," I murmured starting to drift off. Zigzag made a negative noise before becoming silent. He was close to sleep too. My eyes had just fluttered closed when I heard the tent flap open. Glancing over I noticed Twitch standing near the front, blushing at our position.

"Oh hey!" I said brightly. Sitting up, I threw off Zigzag's arm like a blanket. He groaned and sat up as well. I nudged him roughly when he started to glare at Twitch. Standing I walked around to Zero's cot and thumped it gently.

"Zero slept here, but I guess it's your cot now," I said, trying to sound up beat. Twitch nodded and slid his bag slowly under the cot. He still had his baseball cap on, turned backwards of course.

"So, uhm…you guys are like…together right?" he asked nervously, glancing at Zigzag. I blinked at him in surprise. _I was not expecting that._

Glancing over I laughed at the look on Zigzag's face. He was a mixture of shock, rage, and down right annoyance. He moved off our cot and towered over Twitch.

"Yeah we are," he grunted, "and if I see you so much as look at Jackie, you're dead."

_Poor Twitch, he looks like he's gonna faint._

"Ok, you two, time for sleep," I said just as the rest of D-Tent started filing in. Twitch glued his eyes to the floor as he shuffled passed me and I shook my head at Zig. He laid back down on the cot, taking the side closest to Twitch. I scooted in next to him and shot him a glare.

"Rude much?" I whispered harshly. He just laughed and hugged me closer.

"Go to sleep, Jackie," he sighed. The camp lights started to shut off and soon we were cast into darkness.

"Well how can I?" I continued, "You guys are such bullies! It's really mean to-"

"Shut up, Jackie!" Squid groaned from across the tent.

"Yeah, we're tryin to sleep here," X-Ray agreed.

"But you guys are so-" I tried only to be caught of by a chorus of swearing.

"Go to sleep!"

I huffed angrily and turned over to face Zigzag. He had a triumphant smirk on his face that I could see even in the darkness. I just rolled my eyes and turned over.

"Oh shut up," I grumbled.

* * *

The next day, Zigzag was still watching Twitch closely as we walked to our digging site. I didn't think those two would ever get along.

_Could be worse.  
__How?  
__Well Ziggy could've killed him as soon as he asked if you were together.  
__Too true._

"You'll dig here today," Mr. Sir yelled, spitting on the ground. Just like always I scrunched up my face at the man. He rolled his eyes, mumbled something about 'girlyness', and then left.

Zig handed me my shovel and moved away to start digging. Looking over I saw Twitch glancing nervously up at me before checking if Zigzag was sneaking up on him. I laughed quietly to myself and waved at him. He froze in surprise then waved back, his smile twitching in the corners. _I wonder if he's got a tick or if that's just paranoia._

I ignored it for the time being and went back to focusing on digging. My arms weren't so sore anymore when I dug the shovel into the ground. I was finally building up those muscles I'd dreamed about. Now I just needed to work on a tan. Soon I'd be even more amazing. A_h, I cherish these vane moments._

* * *

**5 hours later**

* * *

I glanced up and saw Mr. Sir's truck heading in our direction. I whistled to Zigzag to get his attention. He was nearly done with his hole by now. Leaping out he walked over and lifted me out of the hole easily. The truck was rolling to a stop now not far from Magnet's hole.

Looking over I noticed Caveman helping Twitch out of his hole. I smiled, he haad always been the nicest one. I got into line with Zigzag as Mr. Sir stepped out and started refilling our canteens and saying what was for lunch. _What's the point? It's always the same anyway._

Zig and I had finally reached the head of the line when suddenly the trucks engine revved. We all spun around and saw Twitch looking nervously into the driver's side window.

"Go, go!" he shouted, "Put it in gear!"

The truck lurched forward, nearly taking Zig's toes with it. Mr. Sir yelled like a mad man and went running after it. Needless to say he couldn't go very fast in those boots. I jogged up behind Twitch and grabbed his shoulder.

"Who's in the car?" I gasped, looking around and counting off all the boys. _Oh no…_

"It's Stanley!" he said, watching the truck drag Mr. Sir into a hole. The guys by this time had figured it out and were going crazy.

"GO CAVEMAN!" they all shouted as the truck turned around and started zooming out towards the desert. I thought I was going to be sick. My hands flew up to cover my eyes, but I was still looking through my fingers.

Stanley's arm was sticking out the window, waving at the other campers who were cheering him on as well. Keep both hands on the wheel you idiot!

Suddenly the truck lurched downward and landed hard into a hole. Water from the container splashed over the entire vehicle as dust and dirt flew into the air. Everything went silent.

"Stanley!" I screamed, throwing myself into a sprint. Hot air whipped against my face as my arms and legs pumped across the sand. I was running like I'd use to run back in track team. My breathing was steady so I wouldn't tire out and I was focused on one thing and running to it like nothing else existed. _Almost there, Stanley's right there._

I made it to the truck just as the front door flew open. Skidding to a halt I dropped down to my belly and saw Stanley trying to crawl out of the truck. "Oh thank god," I gasped reaching in and yanking him out by his arms.

He stumbled on wobbly legs and fell face first to the ground. I propped him up and glanced back over my shoulder. I had run faster than I ever had and left the rest of D-Tent way behind. With the way the were running they'd reach us in nearly five minutes.

"What the hell was that about?" I snapped at Stanley, "What did you think you were doing? Mr. Sir is gonna-"

"I have to find Zero," he cut in, pulling away from me. I froze and looked out across the desert.

"Is that why you chose the water truck?" He nodded and I nodded with him. The piece of junk was useless to Zero now. It would need to be towed out of the hole. I kicked the side as I racked my brain for what to do.

"I need to get outta here," Stanley said, looking over at the others who were running for us. I nodded my agreement and stepped forward.

"I'm coming with you," I said confidently. Stanley was already shaking his head.

"No, you can't."

"Why not? I want to find Zero too, you know," I growled angrily. Caveman shot me a look and nodded back towards the digging site.

"But you're needed here," he coughed, as dust started to settle around us. I looked back over my shoulder and saw Zigzag was running faster then the rest and getting closer every second. I sniffed before turning back to Stanley and pulling him into a hug.

"Come back with our friend or don't come back at all," I said sternly. Stanley looked surprised but nodded as he pulled away. "Get outta here, Stanley Yelnats," I murmured, kicking dirt at him.

He smiled before turning on his heel and running. A few seconds later Zigzag ran up next to me. He was out of breath and sweating as I sank down to sit on the ground. He watched Stanley running away from camp and shot me a confused look.

"For a second," he coughed, "I thought you were gonna go with him."

I glanced up at him and saw that he'd been really worried about the idea. Stanley had been right, I was needed here. Shaking my head I clasped his hand in mine.

"No," I sighed, "just wanted to wish him good luck."

* * *

**Haha chapter 22! the day after chapter 21! I am so BACK lol! Hope you all liked it and if I still have any faithful readers please review!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	23. No one will know

**Sorry everyone but believe it or not I got grounded! So that's why there was the delay on this update, I'm just a bad seed :D**

**Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 24:

**--Zigzag--**

After Caveman skipped camp, digging was cut short again. We all trudged back towards Camp Green Lake, talking about Stanley. I kept my arm slung around Jackie's shoulder as we walked. She was obviously upset that her two best friend were now missing in the desert. When she first ran towards the car I was sure she was going to leave with Stanley to find Zero. I'd hauled ass over to the car hoping to stop her but when I got there she just sat on the ground and watched her friend run away. I was still a bit confused on why she'd stayed but I couldn't deny I would've been crushed if she'd gone. She sighed now and put her head on my shoulder.

"I'm so tired of this place," she groaned loudly. I laughed and hugged her closer. _I'm tired of this place too._

"Yeah, well at least you're in good company," I joked, trying to lighten her mood. She shrugged against me and didn't answer. I rubbed her arm comfortingly as she sniffed

"What if..." she whispered, "What if something happens to them?" I stayed silent not knowing what to say. Something _could_ happen to them out there. It wasn't called the wilderness for nothing.

"Wanna head to the rec room?" _Smooth subject change, Zig, real smooth. _

She nodded slowly and we followed Armpit and Squid into the rec room. We steered towards the couch and plopped down on the middle cushion. Soon Squid came to sit to our right and Magnet to our left.

"That had to be the coolest digging day ever," Squid mused. Magnet and I nodded as Jackie continued staring off into space.

"Caveman did have style," Armpit called from the pool table where he was playing against X-Ray. Jackie leaned into my chest and played with my hands.

"You ok?" I murmured into her ear. She shrugged in reply and closed her eyes.

"I'm tired," she sighed, her entire body relaxing into me. After a few minutes I was sure she had actually fallen asleep. Moving slowly, I scooped her up bridal style and nodded to Squid.

"I'm gonna put her in the tent and be back," I said quietly, "don't take my spot."

* * *

**--Jackie--**

_I was walking. Outside obviously. It looked like I was in the middle of no where. Nothing but sand and rock for miles in every direction. It was hot, really hot. I moved my arm to wipe my forehead and realized I was caring a brown sack. It was course and used, the writing on the front faded. I glanced around for where I had gotten it. I hadn't been caring it a second ago had I?_

_My vision was blurred at the edges and the sun cast everything into a harsh white light. There was a shrub near by. When had that gotten there? I couldn't take my eyes off it for whatever reason. It was the only thing there to look at anyway. What was this place?_

_I squinted as I knelt down next to the shrub. It was spindly and thin, but when I squinted it turned into something else. Like if I tried hard enough I could see through it onto something else. I reached out to touch it and my hand passed right through the twigs and landed on something solid and firm. _

_I jumped back in surprise and landed in the dirt. It was a boat. An over turned wooden boat. It had take the place of the shrub out of no where and it's dark wood contrasted heavily with the white sand. There was something written on the side but I had to turn my head to read it properly. Mary-Lou. Well who the hell was that?_

_My eyes scanned across the boat and right at the base I saw something that made my heart freeze. Two pairs of legs stuck out from under the boat. One set stretching longer than the others. They were covered in orange pants legs. Those looked familiar. I leaned over shakily and laid on my stomach next to the hole the legs were sticking out of."Stanley?" I whispered worriedly into the darkness. I couldn't see anything where the sun didn't touch. "Zero?" No answer._

_The hot wind whipped around my face as I sat up. I flinched as I felt my lip spilt open in the heat. Touching it lightly I brought my hand away from my face and saw startling red blood on my finger tips. It's too hot. We need to get out of here._

"_Stanley, can you hear me?" I called hoarsely, my throat and mouth starting to feel dry. Were they sleeping? I hoped so._

_Struggling to my feet I found myself getting extremely tired and winded. As if the sun was sucking the water from my very body. I didn't have much time. Leaning heavily on the edge of the boat I grabbed the under side and starting trying to lift it. I could feel my fingers blister and bleed beneath the wood but I kept pushing, my face contorted with the effort. I could feel the sun starting to peel the skin on the back of my neck. It burned bad._

_I grunted as I tried to lift the boat. It was way heavier than it looked. Finally it started to lift off the barren ground slowly. I heaved with all my might, a steaming sweat falling down my back. I finally had lifted it enough that I could wedge my shoulder under the edge and shove it the rest of the way off._

_The boat flew off and fluttered like paper into the distance. I watched as it landed on the ground and burst into flames from the heat. That'd be us if we weren't-_

_I turned and came upon the sight of my two best friends. Their faces were blistered beyond recognition and their bodies look like nothing but old paper and dust as the wind hit them. I watched in horror as the desert heat devoured their bodies. Their cheeks hollowed out and blew away in the wind as their eyes shriveled up and fell into their skulls._

_I opened my mouth to scream but as soon as sunlight hit it, my tongue swelled with blisters and the inside of my mouth was split in various places. I clutched at my throat, my hands leaking blood and water. I could feel myself burning from the inside out. I looked down one last time at Stanley and Zero before my eyes burst into flames._

I screamed as I sat straight up on the cot. I clutched at my throat before rubbing my eyes furiously. Tears were falling down my face from the nightmare and I sobbed loudly as I bent over my knees.

"Are you ok?" came a voice. I jumped bad as I whipped my head around and spotted Twitch. He was sitting on Zero's cot and had his wide eyes trained on my face. We were the only ones in the tent. "You were having a nightmare," he murmured, "crying in your sleep."

I sobbed again and turned away, wiping sweat from my temple. "Why didn't you wake me up?" I said shakily. "I needed to be woken up."

"I'm sorry," was his timid reply. I immediately felt bad for letting him see me this way. I waved him away over my shoulder and laid back down on my cot.

"Never mind, Twitch," I sniffed, "it's fine I'm fine."

"Do you want me to get, Zigzag?" he asked after a tense silence. My heart swelled with gratification. I knew he was afraid of Zig. _I could use him here with me right now._

"No thanks, Twitch," I said tiredly, "I don't want anyone to know about this." I turned over onto my back and fixed my eyes on him. He hadn't moved. "This'll be our little secret ok?" He shot me a wary look before nodding slowly. I nodded my thanks and turned back over. No one would know about this.

* * *

**Ok I know this was super short but this really has to end here for the next chapters to fit well. Again sorry for the delay. Review! Its amazing that this story has over 100 reviews now (never thought it'd happen). Its too bad the 100th**** reviewer was anonymous. Thanks to who ever you were!**

**I'm so excited to finish up this story :D seems like way longer than 5-6 months that iive been working on it. Hmm since I started, I've turned fifteen, finished my first year of high school, and lived through seeing my all time favorite artist die (R.I.P. Michael Joseph Jackson! U will be missed!) so this story is definitely my main/fav ff work.**

**Ok I'll start working on the next chapter right now, hope you liked this.**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	24. The secrets out

**Yay! I have my original avatar up again! isn't it so cute! *business voice* ok now on to more important matters! Ok everyone, here's the next chapter. Thanks again to all the reviewers. di14, stop predicting things so well! Lol j/k!**

**Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 24:

**--Zigzag--**

The morning bell rang and Jackie groaned, burrowing her face deeper into my neck. She was still fast asleep when I'd come back to the tent yesterday. I was glad she'd been able to get some shut eye after being so stressed over Caveman and Zero. My only problem was that when I'd walked into the tent, Twitch had been watching her sleep.

I glanced over my shoulder at the kid now. He had one eye trained on me and scurried out of the tent before anyone else. I smirked evilly as Jackie yawned and stretched. I sat up and she followed, eyes closed as if to stay sleeping. She leaned her face against my back/shoulder and breathed deeply.

"Ew," she sniffed, moving away. Turning I saw she was totally awake now, but her eyes were narrowed. "Zig, when's the last time you took a shower?"

I blushed in embarrassment before I had a thought. Shooting her a glare I stood and reached for her hand. She took it and yelped in surprise when I yanked her off the cot.

"Probably the last time you took one," I quipped, raising her arms high into the air. She shrieked and tucked her elbows in roughly, probably bruising her sides. Her eyes where wide and far away, probably counting the days that'd passed since she'd showered.

"Jesus," she murmured, shuffling around the cot, towards the tent flap. I laughed and followed after her, slinging an arm around her shoulder. She shot me a look, her elbows still tucked tightly in.

"Oh come on, Jackie," I chuckled, "it's not that bad." She shook her head vigorously and stomped her foot in the dirt.

"How could I have forgotten to shower two days _in a row_?!" she groaned, turning her face up to the dim morning sky. Frown lines were etched into her forehead. "I probably smell like a dude."

"I'm offended," I said, as we walked past Twitch. Jackie waved covertly at him, only moving her hand. He nodded in response and then shot me a wary glance. I glared back and he scuffled away. Jackie gave me a look and shook her head.

"You need to be nicer to him," she suggested as we got in line for breakfast.

"Why should I bother?" I scoffed, stuffing the tortilla into my mouth whole. She just shrugged and wiped a crumb off my face before starting to nibble on her own tortilla. Not surprisingly her arms where still glued to her side. She looked ridiculous just flexing her wrists and hands around. _Ridiculously cute. Well…yeah._

After a few minutes Mr. Sir opened up 'The Library' and we all grabbed our shovels. The sun was just starting to show up when we set out for our digging sight. I glanced at Jackie and frowned. She'd had way more sleep than usual yet her eyes wear puffy and looked like she'd rubbed them raw in sleep. I wondered how it'd escaped my notice before.

"Hey, Zig!" I turned and saw Magnet, Squid, and Armpit walking behind X a ways to our left. Magnet waved at me frantically. "Come 'ere, I need to tell you somethin!"

Jackie had noticed them now and raised an eyebrow as we turned to walk towards them. "No, no no!" Armpit shouted, waving his arm at Jackie. We all plugged are noses until he put his arm back down. "Swifty's gotta stay over there. We got something to talk to you about _privately_."

I shot them an odd look and glanced at Jackie. She looked taken aback by Armpit waving her off but shrugged anyway. "Be right back," I mumbled.

"It's fine," she coughed, "take your time." She switched directions and headed towards Twitch who was walking alone behind the group. I growled at this and shot a glare over to the other D-Tenters who were still waving at me. Putting mine and Jackie's shovel over my shoulder I stomped over to them.

"This better be good," I hissed when I reached them. They all looked a bit scared but Magnet smacked my shoulder and threw a glance over his shoulder.

"Aye, yo," he whispered to Squid. He motioned towards Jackie with his head and Squid nodded. _Now I 'm really lost._

"Right," said Squid, chewing on his tooth pick in determination, "I'll run some interference." With that he jogged backwards until he elbowed himself in between Jackie and Twitch.

"Ok what the hell is goin on?" I found myself whispering now too and cursed under my breath. Magnet and Armpit both leaned closer. This was not easy since we hadn't stopped walking yet.

"Ok, so get this," Magnet started excitedly, "yesterday I'm chillin around the tent, you know? Not doin much of anything and then I decide to go inside." He paused.

"And?" I barked in annoyance. He frowned at me but continued.

"_And, _I hear Swifty and Twitch talkin real quiet like inside the tent."

My jaw clenched and my grip on the shovels tightened. "What were they talkin about?"

"I dunno," he shrugged, "but, when I was right outside the flap I heard Swifty telling Twitch **'This'll be our little secret'**."

My jaw dropped as he came to the end of the story. Both he and Armpit nodded like they knew exactly what I was thinking. Armpit clapped me on the shoulder, knocking me out of my trance.

"Tough luck, man," he said lowly, "Jackie seemed like a good girl, but I guess-"

He shut up as I shot him a ferocious glare. I didn't want to hear what either of them had to say about Jackie. "Shut your mouth," I hissed, as we came to a stop behind Mr. Sir. We'd reached our digging sight for the day. The two of them looked shocked at my reaction. _Well how the hell should I be acting?!_

"Hey look man," Magnet cut in, "we were just tryin to help _you_ out."

My glare intensified as I moved the two shovels from my shoulder. _How was telling me that my girlfriend had some sort of secret with that _spy _helping me?!_

"Whatever." the two of them scoffed and moved to start digging elsewhere. As if on cue, Jackie walked up behind me and smiled. I stared back at her stone faced, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Thanks for caring my shovel," she said sincerely as I passed it to her.

"I always carry it," I grumbled, digging my own into the dirt. She laughed lightly and bent down to kiss my cheek. I felt my cheeks go red in a mix of anger and…I don't know what else.

"True," she mused, "that must be what makes you such a great boyfriend." She patted my shoulder and then retreated to her own digging space. I watched her walk away and then turned to glare at Twitch. Whatever had happened, it was _his _fault.

* * *

**--Jackie--**

I walked tiredly behind Zig on our way back to camp after a long day of digging. He held both our shovels in one closed fist and walked briskly ahead of me making it nearly impossible for me to keep up. He'd been acting weird all day. Brushing me off all but rudely and simply avoiding conversation. I wondered briefly what Magnet had told earlier that morning , but I wasn't going to pry…_for now. _

Zig tossed our shovels roughly to the pile by the 'Library' and shot me a glance over his shoulder. He stopped suddenly and I moved to stand by his shoulder. I followed his eye and noticed him glare at Twitch as he walked towards the tent. _This is getting ridiculous._

_I know Ziggy doesn't trust new kids but come on! He helped Stanley escape!_

"Are you-" I started to ask if he was mad at Twitch but he cut me off, barely looking at me.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," he muttered. I raised an eyebrow and chuckled trying to lighten the mood,

"Yeah," I nodded, "me too." He shrugged and didn't move, staring me down. I shifted my weight uneasily and sucked in a breath. Ok something was definitely wrong.

I crossed and uncrossed my arms before stepping forward and leaving him there. As curios as I was about what was going through his head, the shower was calling my name and couldn't be ignored.

I inched the door to the warden's cabin open slowly. My bag was clutched tightly against my stomach. The cabin was dark except for the light coming in from one window. Scanning the room I saw the warden slumped over a desk in the back of the room. She looked like she was sound asleep. I sighed in relief and scooted through the door.

I hadn't seen or spoken to the warden since the day Zero ran away. I was sure she was beyond busy trying to think of an excuse as to why two campers had gone missing. I fought the urge to spit on her face and hurried down the hallway to the bathroom. The door closed easily behind me and I locked it.

The shower turned out to be just what I needed. The steaming hot water helped me clear my head and really think for the first time I a while. I couldn't believe I'd forgotten about this. Hanging around guys 24/7 was definitely not for me. I washed my hair thoroughly and shaved for good measure. I was really just trying to buy some time. I had a lot of thinking to do.

I wonder what's wrong with Zig.

I sighed as the water started to turn cold and turned the nozzle off. Stepping out I wrapped myself into a big fluffy blanket and reached into my bag for a brush, new underwear, and I picked up my clean jumpsuit. In thirty minutes I was fresh and shiny and ready to leave. I stuffed my dirty clothes, minus the jumpsuit, and toiletries into my knapsack and left the bathroom.

On my way out I noticed that the wardens desk chair was now empty and the front door to the cabin hung open. I was just going to leave when I glanced at the desk. It was piled high with papers and a dim lamp shown down on them. _Just keep walking Jackie._

Curiosity gripped me and I stepped silently over to the desk. The first thing that caught my eyes was a folder/file thing. It looked like mine from the sharing circle but way smaller. I picked it up and squinted at the faded name. Hector Zeroni.

My brow furrowed. I didn't know that name. I flipped the folder open and glanced over the information. A picture paper clipped to the side of one paper caught my eye. It was Zero! I snagged the picture and brought it to eye level. He looked a bit younger, his hair not so long. I laughed under my breath and shrugged. _So his name is Hector, interesting._

I flipped through the file some more reading every few paragraphs. He was a ward of the state. Was caught stealing a pair of shoes from PayLess. I smirked at this and flipped to the next page. Nothing. I frown and flipped through all the previous pages. Nothing about his stay at Camp Green Lake was mentioned. That was weird.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a small waste bin bulging with paper. Closing the file I knelt by the bin and grabbed the shred of paper sitting on top f the pile. Straightening out I noticed that it was talking about Zero again. I grabbed a few more pieces and laid them flat on the floor, smoothing them out, it took me a few minutes but I was finally able to put the page together. It was a file documenting Zero's sentence and arrival to Camp Green Lake. _That bitch! She's trying to make it like he was never here!_

I growled and rose to my knees next to the desk. I spotted a tape dispenser under a stack of papers and grabbed it. Working furiously, I tape the page back together and slipped it into Zero's folder. I pushed the whole folder carefully into my knapsack for safe keeping. I'd just zipped the bag up when a shot rang out. My head snapped up and I looked out the door.

Deciding now was as good a time as ever, I took my leave and raced from the cabin. I stuck to the edges of buildings as I made my way to the tent. I tossed my knapsack under mine and Zig's cot then hurried back outside. I saw people hurrying away from the rec room and towards their tents. It was kind of weird seeing so many campers/prisoners running around. More than a few of them bumped me as they hurried pass and I glanced around for Zigzag. I needed to know what was going on.

I spotted Squid moving passed and grabbed his arm. He jumped and turned to face me.

"Jesus, woman, don't sneak up on me like that!" he sighed. I rolled my eyes and waved him off.

"What happened?" He diverted his eyes and stuck his thumb back towards the rec room.

"You should go and see for yourself." Before I could ask what he meant he disappeared into the crowd of orange jumpsuit. I grumbled and started elbowing my way towards the rec room.

**ok i'm about to leave for the week so i wont get another chance to update till next weekend :D this wasnt supposed to be the end of the chapter but i didnt wanna leave u all hanging so lets just call this a preview/teaser. its longer than the last so it should work. the rest wil be written and posted next weekend, promise! have a good week!**

**Thanks for reading!  
~monie**


	25. The secrets out, continued

CHAPTER 24 [continued]:

**--Jackie--**

I made it to the rec room door and pulled it open slowly. Poking my head inside, my first thought was that the room was empty but then I saw Zigzag in the corner. He was leaning against the wall looking furious, his long arms crossed in front of his wide chest. I blinked and moved all the way into the rec room. As the door shut his eyes snapped to me and he frowned.

"Jacqueline what're you doin in here?" I jumped when I heard Pendanski just behind me. Turning, I saw he had his shot gun aimed at the ground. Behind him I saw Twitch crouching by the pool table. His eyes were wide and he was practically vibrating he was twitching so bad.

"What-" I started.

"You need to leave," Pendanski said loudly. I shook my head and stepped around him. He huffed in annoyance as I crouched down next to Twitch. He met my eyes momentarily and then glanced back at Zig.

"What happened?" I said lowly. He didn't look like they'd been fighting. I was sure Twitch would be bruised and bloodied if Zig had gotten a hold of him.

"He heard," Twitch whispered shakily, "he heard you when you told me to keep the dream a secret."

I frowned at him and shook my head. _Why would he make such a big deal over me not telling him about the dream?_

"Why would he over react about-"

"He thinks the secret is somethin _else_," Twitch interrupted suggestively. My eyes widened and I chuckled. Straightening up I looked around the room. The TV was knocked off the stand, pool sticks lay broken by the pool tables, and more than a few tables were turned over. I rolled my eyes and started walking over to Zig. Pendanski stepped into my path and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Maybe we should all give Ricky a little space while he-"

"Don't touch me," I hissed, moving away from him. I hadn't forgotten about the sharing circle. I continued to Zigzag and noticed him shifting his weight uncomfortably as I got closer. He didn't move away from the wall though which was an advantage to me. I stepped right up to him, invading his space and putting my face right in his. He stiffened but couldn't pull away with the wall behind him.

"You have to be the most over protective, over bearing, hard headed, jealousy prone boy I've ever met," I whispered so only he could hear. His eyes glanced everywhere but my face, which was mere centimeters from his. I grabbed his jaw and made him look at me. "Zig, I wouldn't want anyone but you, _just_ the way you are," I said sincerely before lifting my lips to his.

* * *

**--Zigzag--**

I wrapped my arms around Jackie's waist as she kissed me right into the wall. I couldn't help but think how stupid I'd been to even think she would cheat on me with Twitch. I felt almost bad for chasing him around the rec room now.

I sighed as Jackie laced one of her hands through the back of my hair. I did the same and lifted her off the ground to make it easier. Our lips were glued together and our bodies pressed together almost inappropriately. I would've been fine to stay like that forever if not for a rude cough behind Jackie.

"Would you two _please_ release each other," Pendanski groaned, letting his shotgun lower. He'd had it aimed at me since he walked in and saw me about to beat Twitch to death.

Jackie sighed as I lowered her back down to the ground. It felt good knowing she wasn't mad about me snapping on the kid. Jackie didn't stand for my crap when it came to stuff like that, but I guess since Twitch had been able to out run me, I'd gotten a free pass.

"Maybe," she whispered as we move away from the wall, "you should apologize to Twitch." My eyes snapped to her and I frowned. Her eyes narrowed and she poked my side. "It's the least you could do for all this." She waved around at the trashed rec room. I groaned and walked forward to Twitch.

He was crouching under a pool table anymore so I walked right up to him. I noticed Pendanski steady his gun as I stopped in front of the kid. He was shaking badly and seemed to be leaning on the table for support. I felt Jackie nudge me and stuck a hand out to him.

"Sorry, man," I grumbled, almost under my breath. He looked surprised and glanced over at Jackie. She nodded encouragingly at him and he stuck his hand in mine. _Man this kid is shakin like a leaf._

"That's very big of you, Ricky," Pendanski said, "well done. Now lets all get outta here D-Tenters."

Jackie rolled her eyes and I laughed, slinging my arm over her shoulder. "Come on, Twitch," she called back to the younger boy. He glanced at me and I shrugged. I didn't have any reason to hurt him anymore. He fell into step next to Jackie and she started talking happily about something or other. I didn't really pay attention to it though. I was just glad I knew the truth now.

**(A/N - ok see the last chapter would've ended here )**

* * *

**Hey everyone. Sorry I couldn't post the next chapter but I'm afraid I've become a bit of an insomniac. Staying up till 8am doing nothing and then sleeping till 2pm only to get up and start over. Either way I'm totally exhausted and haven't found the brain power to shape up the next chapter well enough to post. I'll try to work on it while I'm gone over the week but for now I need some serious sleep. Its 9:50am and I'm runnin on empty. Just figured I'd post this so as to give you something since it was done anyway. Hope everyone had a pleasant fourth of July. G'night!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	26. Hard decisions

CHAPTER 25

**--Jackie--**

Zigzag and I spent the rest of the day relaxing in the tent. After I'd gotten the floor story I'd kind of snapped on Magnet and the rest for nearly ruining the relationship. After many apologies and promises to mind their own business I decided to let them off the hook. You could only expect so much from teenage boys after all. They were probably worse gossipers than most girls.

Twitch was still getting used to being near Zigzag and not receiving a death threat but I was proud of both of them. I had a feeling with a bit of time they could learn to be at least decent friends. Zigzag for the most part just ignored the other boy's presence which was a step up from plotting his demise I must say. I wished he'd shown Zero and Caveman the same treatment when they'd been in camp.

I sighed thinking about my best friends. In a few minutes the dinner bell would ring and I'd have to sit through another meal without them. If X-Ray decided to start something only Zigzag and maybe Twitch would storm out of there with me. And their seats would be desperately empty and I'd feel even worse as soon as I saw the extra space. _Just like always._

_Well what do you expect? They're my best friends. I miss them._

_No need to act as if they're dead though._

I shut off my thinking at that point. I didn't want to think of the possibility that they wouldn't be coming back. If something happened to them there'd be no one to blame but me. I'd started everything. Probably my very presence at Camp Green Lake had caused a rift in fate's plan for them to live happy, healthy lives. _I'm getting away from myself with insane thoughts again._

I shook my head right as the dinner bell blared loudly, still making me jump. Zigzag nudged my shoulder and stood up from the cot we'd been lounging on. As we walked outside I made a mental note to write a letter to Daniel. I'd planned on doing it a few days after getting his care package but then Stanley had found the tube of lipstick and everything had gotten crazy from there. He was probably wondering why I hadn't responded yet.

I was definitely interested in telling him all about Camp Green Lake. About my two best friends and my boyfriend who he was probably going to be very suspicious of. I laughed to myself at the thought of Danny becoming the over protective big brother he'd always claimed to be. I wasn't worried though. If and when they ever met, I was sure him and Zig would get along…eventually.

* * *

**--Zigzag--**

Jackie seemed kind of out of it all through dinner. At first I was worried she was upset about Zero and Caveman but then she'd started laughing every few minutes. That's when I _really _started to worry. _She's finally snapped. She cant handle the stress anymore and she's gone mad._

I wasn't the only one giving her weird looks of course. Even X-Ray looked a bit put off by her random laughing. She stared down at her plate, eating automatically but she was obviously thousands of miles away. Soon it got to be too much and I pushed my plate away to turn to her.

"Jackie, you ok?" I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She jumped slightly but then turned to me and smiled.

"I think you'd like my brother," she said happily before turning back to her tray. I just shook my head and glanced around the table. Everyone was leaning slightly away from her tonight.

Squid made the international sign for crazy (twirling a finger near his head) and started laughing into his food. I rolled my eyes and kept eating what passed for food in Camp Green Lake.

* * *

**2 Hours Later**

* * *

"Lights out," Mr. Sir yelled as he passed the tent. Jackie slid into the cot next to me and yawned loudly. I raised an eyebrow at her before propping myself up on one elbow.

"What was goin on with you at dinner?" I asked suspiciously. She laughed and waved me off.

"I was just thinking about some funny memories of me and Danny," she said quietly as everyone was going to sleep. "I really miss him and if I ever get out of this hell hole I'm going to live near him again."

I listened carefully to what she was saying and felt myself getting worried all of a sudden. "Where's he live?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. _Failure._

"Washington." She said it cheerily and then her face blanked. She stared off into space before locking eyes with me. I tried to keep my face emotionless and shrugged in the darkness.

"That's…pretty far from Texas," I said lowly. She nodded slowly, looking to be in deep thought.

"Yeah," she said finally, "it really is." She turned over so that her back was to me. "Goodnight, Zigzag."

She sounded distracted and distant and my stomach clenched up. "G'night."

I turned over so my back was to hers and shut my eyes. I hadn't mentioned it to Jackie, but my sentence here was going to be over in less than three months. I hadn't worried about it too much since I knew Jackie still had a long way to go here and I could just visit her. But what about when she got out?

There'd be no way we could keep going if she was all the way in Washington. There was just no way. Maybe she knew that and that was why she was suddenly so thoughtful. Actually there was no maybe about it. I sighed as softly as I could so Jackie wouldn't hear and made a hard decision. I wanted to make this as easy as it could be for Jackie and I'd rather have her hate me and never want to see me again than have her be all heart broken and miserable in Washington.

_Tomorrow I'll just take her aside and tell her its over._

_Reason?_

_I got tired of her, simple as that._

_That's a really asshole thing to do._

_Yeah…I know._

* * *

**--Jackie--**

My sleep was broken and uneasy. I hadn't even put any real thought to moving to Washington. It was just something I knew I wanted and would do eventually. The idea to worry about the distance between there and here had never occurred to me. Not because I didn't care of course. I just hadn't…thought.

_I'm such an idiot. Zig probably hates me for just planning to up and leave._

I'd never liked the idea of a long distance relationship and I didn't think Zig could handle that either but I didn't see any other way. The alternative (breaking up) was not appealing at all. We could barely stand not talking to each other for a few days while confined to a detention center. Being entire states apart would be…impossible.

_Well not impossible but improbable._

I rolled my eyes under their lids and took a deep breath. I wanted to stay with Zig but I couldn't live here alone or with him for that matter. That'd be too far. Plus I had a feeling Daniel was ready to step up to the plate and take on the role of my guardian and I couldn't pass that up. I loved my brother too much.

_Don't you love Zigzag too though?_

My eyes snapped open and my breathing halted. Apparently my new theme was naivety. Just like Washington, I'd never put any real thought into my feelings for Zigzag. Of course I knew I liked him. A lot. But I'd never bothered if seeing if it was something more.

_Well why should I? I've only known him for like a month._

_Yes, but you've never met anyone like him in your life._

_I've been on the run or incarcerated most of my life. There very well could be other guys out there._

_But do you want to find them?_

I grumbled at the stupid voice in my head and squeezed my eyes shut. If I couldn't figure out if I loved Zigzag or not, then I obviously didn't. _Right?_

I couldn't be sure. The closest thing I'd had to love had been scattered out onto the freeway, along with a good three pints of my blood. But those memories weren't relevant anymore. _He_ was long gone and the relationship we'd had was deformed in many ways. Zig was nothing like _him _after all.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes roughly with the tips of my fingers. My head hurt from all the seriousness of my thoughts. It was clear this wasn't a decision I should be making alone. Tomorrow I'd just take Zigzag and ask him if he thought our relationship was heading anywhere after we both left Camp Green Lake. _Hopefully he'll say yes._

* * *

**--Zigzag--**

"Get up. Everyone hurry up, and get outta bed." I groaned as Pendanski came into the came, waking us all from sleep. He shown his flash light on every face before landing on the cot I was sharing with Jackie. "Well, well," he said slowly, "Ricky I don't believe it's very wise of you to share a cot with Jacqueline. Though she is the first girl her at the camp we do have rules against such behavior. That goes for all of you."

"What you want, moms?" X-Ray yawed from his cot. "It ain't time to get up yet."

I glanced over Jackie's messy hair and noticed that it was still totally dark out. We usually got up right when the sun started making it light again, but it was pitch black out. Probably a good two hours before we were supposed to get up.

"You all gotta get yourselves into the rec room," he said seriously.

"What for?" Squid yawned, already heading for the tent flap. I got off the cot with Jackie close behind and shuffled after him.

"Warden's orders," Pendanski answered, waving us off, "hurry up now."

Grumbling, we all made our way out into the night. The rest of the campers were heading towards the rec room too and it was easy to bump into people in the dark, clouded in sleep.

Jackie yawned and leaned on my shoulder. Her contact made me remember what I had sworn to do today. I had to make her hate me so her being in Washington would be easier. She sniffled lightly and placed her tiny hand in mine. I could've killed myself just then. I didn't want to hurt her but in my mind this would be better for her in the long run.

We made it into the rec room and it was surprisingly quite for so many campers. They were spread out everywhere, fast asleep. Some had even take to stretching across the pool tables and dozing off. I steered Jackie towards the couch only to find it full. Moving to the back I slid down to the floor, leaning on the back of the couch. I pulled Jackie down to sit between my legs. She yawned and leaned on me, using my chest as a pillow. I placed my arms loosely around her small body and took a deep breath. _Get it over with before you loose your nerve._

"Jackie?" I said into her ear. She mumbled a low reply letting me know I had her attention.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," I said, feeling my hands grow clammy.

"Me too," she yawned, making it hard to understand. "Something to talk about," she slurred.

"Right," I said shortly, it was now or never. "Well, Jackie, I just wanted to say that I really don't think you and me are going anywhere. To be honest my stay here is over in a few months and when I get out I don't wanna be held down by anything here. Girlfriend included. I just think it's time we ended this…thing."

I waited silently for her to answer. For her to get all withdrawn like after the sharing circle. Or to freak and curse me out in front of the whole camp. Or worst case scenario, to start crying. Almost anything would be better then the heavy silence we were sitting in.

"Jackie?" I said timidly. My reply was deep breathing, and her fingers clutching at the collar of my jumpsuit. I switched my hold on her so I could see her face and sighed. She was fast asleep and hadn't heard I word of any of that.

Moving one hand over to rub my eyes roughly I grumbled under my breath. It'd taken all I had to get that half assed speech out and now I'd be forced to do it again. If I wasn't going through hell and back it'd almost be funny. I watched her sleep for a few minutes before leaning my head back against the sofa. At least I'd still have a bit of time with her before I had to do this again for real.

* * *

**This was way longer before but I decided here would be a good place to cut it so that it wasn't insaley long. Posting the next chapter in a matter of seconds so don't miss it!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	27. Perfect moments

CHAPTER 26:

**--Jackie--**

My eyes cracked and I shut them again quickly. The sun streaming in through the dirty windows stung my tired eyes and I turned my face into Zigzag's chest. It was just registering in my mind that this was the latest I'd woken up since coming to camp green lake. The sun had actually beaten me. It was almost weird. I felt rested though which made all the difference in the world.

All my moving woke Zigzag up and he stretched out, making me roll to the side. He yawned and look down at me sleepily. All around, other campers were starting to wake up also. I heard a very familiar yelp as a boy rolled off the pool table and landed on another very familiar yelp.

"I wonder if Squid and Twitch are ok?" I murmured, mostly to myself.

"Is it time to dig yet?" Zigzag yawned, totally missing the wake up chaos. I shook my head and moved so that my head was resting in his lap. From the corner of my eye I saw Squid dusting himself off and grumbling under his breath. I had to laugh at him.

"Shut up, Jackie," he mumbled as he stepped over my legs. "I'm goin outside."

"Pendanski said to stay here," Zig warned. I frowned. I had no memory of said warning.

"Whatever," Squid shrugged, "I gotta take a wiz."

I scrunched up my nose at the black haired boy and rolled so that I was looking up at Zig. I had obviously fallen asleep on him and Pendanski had given that warning after. That explained why I didn't remember it. What I did remember was that Zig had wanted to talk to me about something.

"Hey, Zig," I said, calling his attention, "what was it you wanted to talk to me about last night?"

He looked down at me and his eyes sparked, but not the way they used to. Right then he looked confused and upset about something. His eyes weren't sparking with an idea or happiness, but with pain. Whatever he had to talk with me about wasn't something I was going to like. Reaching around, I clasped his hand in mine to show him support.

"What's wrong, Ziggy?" I asked sincerely. He shifted his eyes away and coughed.

"Well, Jackie", he stammered, "I wanted to say that-"

"They're alive!" Everyones' heads turned as Squid came busting back through the door. "You guys, Zero and Caveman are back! They're alive!"

For a second it felt like my heart jumped up into my throat and then I really did jump up to my feet. I wanted to hear what Zigzag had to say but I had to see if what Squid said was true. I jumped over the bodies of sleeping campers and hurled myself out the door.

The door swung open and the bright sun flashed my eyes to near blinding me. Whipping my head to each side I saw the backs of Stanley Yelnats, my best friend who had run away the day before in search of our friend, and Hector Zeroni, my other best friend who had run away after smashing Pendanski in the face and having me wrestle him to the ground.

I screamed, but I didn't even hear it, my ears were ringing too loudly. I ran down the porch of the rec room heading straight for them. They both turned just in time to see me before I dove forward and tackled Zero to the floor. He grunted as we hit the ground and I grabbed his face between my hands.

"Zero!" I shrieked, "You're alright! Oh my god I've been so worried about you!" I said this all in a rush while kissing both his cheeks hurriedly. "I'm so sorry about what happened the day you left! I would never hurt you or Stanley on purpose, you _know_ that! I was just so angry and then me and Zig were fighting, well we're back together now but that's not the point cause your back!" I grabbed him by his collar as I moved back up to my knees and crushed him against me in a giant hug.

At first he seemed to be in shock but slowly his arms went around me too and I started to feel my eyes well up. "I missed you." it was barely above a whisper but I heard it and sobbed with happiness.

"I missed you too." I said honestly. Looking over, I reached out an arm and roped Stanley into the hug as well. I had my two best friends back. Life was beyond good and the only that could make it better was waiting for us back in the rec room. Or so I thought.

"Hey we thought you guys were buzzard food." I turned to see Zigzag and the rest of D-Tent rushing over to the three of us. They helped us off the ground and started smacking Zero and Caveman on the back and ruffling their hair.

I was happy to see Zig actually throw an arm around Zero good naturedly and even happier to see Zero let it happen with a smile. Magnet and Squid pushed Stanley in a friendly manner and told him his breath stunk. Armpit pulled Zero up to a hug and X smiled at his tent members before patting both of the guys on the shoulders. Everything was coming together.

After everyone got a good look at the two boys, we noticed that we weren't alone. The warden, Mr. Sir, a woman in a suit, and a policeman were standing there watching all of us. The woman saw me and did a double take. I patted down my hair self consciously out of habit.

"What's she doing here?" she said, turning on the warden. "Having a single female at this detention center is just asking for a felony, not to mention a sexual harassment suit."

I blushed and glanced to the floor as Pendanski came out of Mr. Sir's office. He gave us all a frustrated glance before turning sweetly to the woman. "There seems to be no file of Hector Zeroni," he said innocently. The whole of D-Tent started murmuring in confusion as a smile split across my face.

"What kind of camp is-" the woman started in gain but I stepped forward.

"Excuse me," I said politely, "but I think I can help you right about now."

"What're you talking about?" the warden hissed, moving forward, wrapped in an ugly sweater. I just smirked at her and turned back to the woman.

"I'll be right back, don't go away." with that I jumped down to the dirt and raced towards the tent. I could feel their stares on my back but I just kept pumping my arms and legs till I reached D-Tent, not even breaking a sweat.

Reaching under Zig's cot I grabbed my knapsack and unzipped it to pull out Zero's file. Opening I checked that the Camp Green Lake document was still inside before hopping up and leaving. I ran back to the porch where the woman and the warden were arguing heatedly. Smiling at Zero as I passed him I cleared my throat loudly. They both turned to me.

"This," I said, holding up the folder, "is the file of Hector Zeroni." The woman nodded greatfully and took it while the warden's mouth fell open.

"You little criminal, you stole that from my cabin!"

"It was in the trash, you gave up ownership." She stepped forward and slapped me hard across the face.

"Hey!" The policeman stepped forward and put a hand on his holster as he grabbed the warden by the elbow. My face was stinging where she'd slapped me but the smirk was still planted on my face, though painfully.

"If I were you, I'd be worried about where I'll be sleeping when this place goes under," the warden threatened, as the police officer steered her toward a bench.

"If you were me, I wouldn't be able to look at myself every morning," I spat icily. The warden's face flared with rage but she kept silent. I stepped backwards and was met by Zigzag's chest. He wrapped his hands around my upper arms and glared over my shoulder at the warden.

"You alright?" he murmured. I nodded my head and moved further away from the group of adults.

"Miriam Suvey," said another police officer suddenly. My eyes snapped from him and then to Mr. Sir who looked like he was about to wet himself. The officer pushed him against the wall and pulled out his revolver. "Well, well, you know you're in violation of your probation carrying this weapon, Miriam."

I could feel the laughter start to build in the bottom of my stomach just like the first time. My eyes danced at the three people I probably hated most as they were sat down like real criminals. Zigzag made a crack about Mr. Sir's name and everyone joined in the laughter.

I stepped away from the boys and leaned against a post. I was just glad to see them all so happy. And now with his file having shown up, it looked like Zero was leaving camp with Stanley. They were moving towards the car and I stepped forward to say goodbye when a crack of thunder rumbled over head.

I looked up and realized rain clouds were flooding over the sky and shading the entire camp. As quickly as it got dark rain poured down and started soaking everything in sight. The boys were all shocked at first before they starting yelling in excitement and running out into the fast developing mud. The rec room door opened and soon a sea of orange jumpsuits were pooling out into the rain and everyone looked happy.

I was so busy staring in awe at the sky I didn't see Stanley sneak up behind me. He wrapped me into and awkward hug which I returned. Next was Zero who I bent down to hug and held onto a little longer. When I straightened up I looked at my two best friends in the world. Soaked with rain and about to be gone.

"I'm really gonna miss you guys," I said, over the down pour.

"We're really gonna miss you too, Jackie," Stanley said scratching his head as was his habit. I smiled and pulled them into another quick hug. As they moved away I shoved them lightly towards the car.

"Go on, get outta here," I called, "get back to reality." They both laughed and ran back to the car that the woman was waiting in. I saw Stanley share words with the warden over a chest he was putting in the trunk but I was distracted from it by a pair of strong arms wrapping around my middle.

"Are you sad to see them go?" Zigzag asked as I leaned against him.

"A little," I replied honestly, "but I'm more glad that they could make it out of here. They don't belong in a place like this."

I turned and wrapped my arms around his neck. Around us the rest of the campers were singing and dancing and having mud fights, but the two of us were perfect. Just frozen in this one moment and I couldn't have asked for more.

"So you're happy?" zigzag clarified, leaning his forehead against mine. I smiled up at him shyly and shrugged.

"I'm always happy when I'm with you." His eyes flashed in the way I loved and he caught my lips and a steamy kiss. The water running down our faces didn't take away from the moment and I felt like staying this way forever.

_Curse you infernal lungs!_

We broke away to breathe and I looked up at him, through wet eye lashes. We were both panting slightly and still wrapped up in each other. A thought struck me suddenly and I tilted my head to the side.

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" I asked, having just remembered his serious state not long ago.

He smiled down at me shaking his head. "Nothing," he sighed, bending to kiss me again.

* * *

**Oooooh yes! it's the cliché but secretly coveted by everyone kiss in the rain! Boo-ya!  
Oh you guys I'm sad and excited all at once because the next chapter is the last actual chapter before the epilogue and then the story is over! Gasp! Oh I promised myself I wouldn't cry! hope you all liked these last two chapter and tune in (couldnt think of a better phrase) for the ending! ok, bye!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	28. Tough goodbyes

**Dundun-dundunnnnn dun dun dun-dunnnnn!!!! it's the last actual chapter before the epilogue! (chorus of screams "noooooooo!!!!") lemme just say right now that I'm so happy to be getting this story finished! It's been an experience but alas we all must move on sometime in life. But this story will always be my first full length fanfic so it'll always have a special place in my tiny heart :DDD ok here we go!**

**Enjoy! **

CHAPTER 27

**--Jackie--**

I fiddled my fingers o top of my duffel bag nervously. It'd been a week since Stanley and Zero had shown up again and Camp Green Lake was officially closed. Today everyone's parents were coming and taking back to wherever their home was. They got off from their sentence with scheduled therapy sessions, and yearly check ups on progress. Other than that we were all home free.

I'd said goodbye to everyone as they'd left. Magnet was the first. Armpit and X-Ray left together, throwing peace signs through the window as they disappeared into the dust. I'd been surprised how hard it'd been to say goodbye to Squid. He'd done so much for me and Zig and never asked either of us for anything. He was a good friend and it took him getting ready to leave for me to realize it.

I sat in the rec room now tapping my foot. Zigzag sat beside me, chewing on his lip. Every other person in the room were from other tents and too busy to notice the two of us. We were the last D-Tenters left in the entire camp. We sat in an uncomfortable silence. The last week had been great even with the impending day getting closer. But now here we were, on said day, and we had nothing to say about it.

Some strings had been pulled and any moment my brother, Daniel, would be driving up and taking me home. He was now my legal guardian and had full custody of me. There's was no doubt about it, I was excited. I'd missed my brother and finally having a stable place to call home and someone to cal family was great…but I'd miss what I'd had here.

True without the Rest of D-Tent it seemed a bit lonely but if they were to all come back I would say we made a pretty great family. I glanced sideways at Zigzag. He was my family. He was my family even more than Caveman and Zero combined. I'd miss him the most when I was all the way in Washington.

I hadn't gotten a chance to talk with Danny since finding out about the adoption, but I doubted I'd be able to talk him into moving to Texas. Part of me wanted to just end it now so that I could start being sad already bu another part of me, a selfish, petty part, wanted to have him all to myself no matter how far apart we were. So we were going to try long distance. We'd spoken about it briefly and decided it was the only option.

Zigzag finally caught on to my staring and turned to me. He looked a little nervouse and very tired. We'd stayed up talking last night. Not about this day of course but about random things. Things that if we'd met under normal circumstances and been a normal couple we'd already know. But who needed normal right? We had Camp Green Lake.

"You ok?" he said, his voice hoarse, and unused. I shrugged, moving closer to him in the process

"We didn't, uh," I coughed, "we didn't really talk about this all that much." He nodded slowly and glanced out the window. I could tell he was trying to make it seem random but he'd been doing it for twenty minutes. Neither of us wanted to leave first.

"Well," he murmured, "we exchanged numbers and addresses. That's really all we can do. Not like we can make plans to meet."

I nodded. "I least not anytime soon." _Or ever._

We kept eye contact until a car engine could be heard. The chances that it was the parent of another camper were high but we both whipped our heads around. My heart fluttered but my stomach dropped as I recognized my brother's old as dirt pick up truck. This was it.

"Oh, that's me," I said lowly. Zig slowly as if it pained him. Maybe it did somehow. I stood up and he followed as we walked extra slowly to the open door. No one waved to me or called goodbyes. All my friends were gone and only Zigzag was here.

My brother stepped out of the car and look around frowning. He was a city boy through and through. When he caught sight of me his face burst into a smile that I couldn't help but return. He jogged over and scooped me into a hug. He had always been strong.

"Oh my god, Jackie," he laughed twirling me slightly, "you've gotten so tall and damn pretty too." I blushed as he set me down, his brown hair falling into his face slightly.

I coughed into my fist and stepped to the side. "Z-Ricky this is my brother, Danny. Danny, this is my boyfriend, Ricky." it felt weird calling Zigzag that but Camp Green Lake was over. He wasn't Zigzag anymore and I wasn't Swifty. We were Jacqueline and Ricky. Teenagers at large.

"Nice to meet you, Ricky was it?" Daniel said seriously, shaking Zig's hand. I had to roll my eyes. He remembered Zigzag's name he was just being a condescending older brother type. Glancing over I could tell Zig did not like being called by his real name after all this time.

"Nice to meet you," he said as politely as he could manage. Danny nodded and released his hand before turning back to me. I narrowed my eyes at his behavior but he just grinned.

"Ok I gotta go sign you out and fill out all the paper so just wait for me in the car and soon we'll be on our way home." He smiled his thousand watt smile before jogging over to what used to be Mr. Sir's office. I turned to Zigzag and took a deep breath.

"He seems…nice," he said evenly before turning to me. His eyes looked far away and I wondered what he was thinking of.

"He really is," I agreed nodding. _Ok no more stalling, its time_. "I…I'm gonna miss you, Zigzag."

His eyes refocused and he looked me dead in the eyes, stepping closer till we were nose to nose. "I'm gonna miss you too, Jackie. I have something I want to give you."

He reached into his jean pocket and pulled something small out. I was still getting used to seeing his in normal clothes. He looked better than good and he was only wearing jeans and a Misfits t-shirt. It was a shame we wouldn't get to spend more time together looking normal.

He pressed whatever the something was, into the palm of my hand. I went to glance down at it but he caught my chin in his free hand. "Don't open it till you're driving away."

My eyes watered but I nodded as best I could. "Ok."

He nodded and bent down till his lips connected with mine. It was the same as always. An electric shock going down my spine. My eyes closed and I raised my free hand to grab a handful of his crazy, wonderful hair. This kiss was different in the way that we pressed tightly against each other and grabbed each others hair almost to the point of pain. Worth it though. We still had our hands pressed together with the tiny gift being held between us. I kept my lips surgically attached to his and sighed into his mouth. I didn't want to leave him here and drive off into the desert. I wanted to stay right here. Kissing him this way forever and then some. But nothing this great lasts forever

I was starting to feel the strain of not breathing on my lungs when Danny honked his car horn. It was time to leave with the chance of never seeing him again. I thought I'd have a panic attack. It was a weird feeling. I was staring into Zigzag's electric blue eyes and could only be happy to even be near him but on the other hand I was about to leave and it was crushing me. It felt odd to have my heart swell and break at the same time.

I pulled Zigzag back to me for one last kiss. It was rough and I think I bruised both our lips but it was worth it. I pulled away panting and stepped back quickly, my eyes starting to leak salt water.

"Bye," I gasped before spinning on my heel and running to the truck. I tossed my bag into the carriage and yanked the passenger door open before my heart could catch up with my head and make me do something stupid. I slammed the door shut after sliding in and locked the door.

When we didn't start speeding off immediately I shot Danny an icy glare. He was looking at me sadly and I knew I probably looked like a mess but I wasn't about to get out of the car and say goodbye again. I motioned forward with my hand and he put the truck in gear. The engine revved and then we jerked forward, away from Camp Green Lake. We were going slow enough that if I didn't keep it together I'd hop out and go back. It was maddening.

I squinted against the sun as I saw another car approaching. It was a faded red color and the top was down. A tall blonde woman was driving with a blonde girl not much older then me talking in the passenger seat. I couldn't see into the back seat but I was sure if I could I would see a little blonde girl who was almost five years old. That was Zigzag's family. We passed them and I sunk down low in my seat, tears falling on my plaid button up shirt. I didn't want to watch the desert slip by outside the window.

Daniel kept a respectful silence as I cried quietly to myself. I went to wipe my nose with my hand when I realized Zigzag's gift was still clutched in my fist. I considered not looking at till we were all the way in Washington but I knew I'd never pull it off. My fingers were white from squeezing it so tightly and my fingers ached as I opened them. I

let out a watery laugh before crying harder as the silver lighter flashed in the sun. the 'Z' carved into the side faced up at me and I closed my fingers around it again.

Daniel glanced away from the nearly non-existent road to look at me. I'd sunk down lower in my chair now. _Life is so unfair, why cant I have two great things? Daniel as my guardian_ and _Zigzag._

"Aw, come on, Jackie," Daniel said, reaching out to pat my arm, "don't cry like that, kido, please."

"I cant help it," I cried, sniffling pathetically.

"It's not like you're never going to see Ricky again," he said, albeit a tad regretfully. I scoffed/sniffed and rolled my pink eyes.

"Daniel, where are we supposed to get the kind of money to fly back and forth between Washington and Texas? I mean I'm sure it wasn't cheap to come down here to get me and-"

"Wait, wait woah," Daniel said, slowing the car to a stop. He undid his seat belt and turned to talk to me like back when I was fourteen. "Jacqueline, the courts wouldn't have let me take custody of you if you were in a different state. I moved here to Texas months ago to even be taken into consideration as your guardian."

This was one of those things that could be described as being hit with a pile of bricks. My face was frozen in the well known 'o' of surprise and I couldn't get my brain to get out of a funk long enough to comprehend what he was saying.

"W-what?" I uttered.

"We live here in Texas now," he said slowly, a smile creeping onto his face. My eyes twitched and then I threw myself at him. I hadn't put my seatbelt on so there was nothing stopping myself from smothering my brother in a sloppy hug and hundreds of clumsy kissed on his face. I thanked him profusely before opening my door and hopping out.

"You're the best brother ever!" I shouted as I took off at a sprint. The camp was still in sight and totally within my running distance. I evened out my breathing and got into track mode. I could see Zigzag from where I was and I zeroed in on him, running to him like my life depended on it.

_:::_

"_Jeez is he always like this?" I asked the shorter guy with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. He was walking off to my right holding my bag._

"_Zigzag's crazy, girly," he said laughing, "I wouldn't mess with him if I were you."_

_:::_

_I stared at his face the longest. He had a long straight nose and a slender face. When it came right down to it, Zigzag was attractive in many ways._

_:::_

_He reached over slowly and grabbed it. Glancing between it and me for a second, he pressed the tank top to his nose. "See," I said smugly, "now you wont get some hideous disease and I bet I smell a lot better then that old rag." He rolled his eyes, but didn't protest._

_:::_

_He stared at my lips before making eye contact again. I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlight because he smirked before leaning into me. The kiss was like an electric bolt right down my spine. _

_:::_

_He met my eyes and I was mesmerized by the sharpness of them. Ice blue pools surrounded by white. He smiled slightly and shrugged. I smiled too. It was hard since I still felt worthless and exposed, but I was happy that he'd shown up. _

_:::_

_Our lips finally met and I sighed as, just like the first time, an electric shock went through me making me jump. Luckily Zigzag was pinning me down so I didn't throw him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. I'd missed kissing him most of all._

_:::_

_I smiled up at him shyly and shrugged. "I'm always happy when I'm with you." His eyes flashed in the way I loved and he caught my lips and a steamy kiss._

_:::_

All the memories of me and Zig were blurring in my head and before I knew it, I was only a few yards from him. He was throwing his bag into the back of his car and hadn't noticed me yet. I picked up the pace and willed my feet to fly.

"Zigzag!" I yelled when he was in hearing distance. His head snapped around and he took a step back in surprise. He opened his arms and got ready to stop my insane sprint.

I plowed right into at full force, not having slowed at all and sent us both crashing to the hard ground. His arm wrapped around me as I pulled his neck into a death grip. Dust kicked up around us, stinging my eyes but I didn't care. Keeping me still with one arm, he pushed us into a sitting position with the other and looked at me like I was crazy.

"Jackie what're you-"

"I just wanted to say thanks for the lighter and that I'm not going to Washington," I said in a rush, pushing my hair away from my face. He looked beyond confused, but I couldn't help but notice that he'd pulled me full onto his lap now. _Old habits die hard._

"But, Jackie, you cant live here alone and-"

I shut my eyes and started waving him off impatiently. I knew I was doing a terrible job of explaining this, but excitement could make people a bit frazzled. "No, no, no! I mean Daniel moved here! To Texas! I'm going to live here with him now!"

We lapsed into an electrified silence. I gave him time to fully grasp what I was saying and felt like a thousand pounds had lifted off my shoulders when his face split into a genuine smile. Reaching out he grabbed the back of my head and pulled me into a kiss. I wasn't expecting it and my teeth actually scraped against his. It was even more intense then the one I'd given him and I was sure my neck and lips would show the evidence of his presence.

He pulled away suddenly, still holding me by the neck. Our faces were so close that our noses touched. "That was for trying to leave so quick," he said gruffly. I nodded in a sort of haze. My head was spinning.

When we finally broke apart my eyes fluttered and I glanced behind him to see his mother and two sisters watching us with shocked faces. I blushed and touched my hair in an attempt to smooth it down. Zigzag raised an eyebrow at me before glancing over his shoulder. His face turned a cute pink color as he chuckled nervously and waved at his family. I repeated the gesture and his mother strained a smile.

"Ricky, would you like to introduce us to your…friend?" I hoped this first impression wouldn't set her against me. After all I was planning to be around for a long time.

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**Last real chapter! Oh why?! -sobs loudly- it's so sad that this has to end but I'm glad you all liked it so much! Only one flamer the entire time I was writing it! Amazing! Review!**

**Thanks for reading!  
****~monie**


	29. Epilogue: Right from the beginning

EPILOGUE

--Zigzag--

"You ready?" I asked Jackie as I lowered my body down closer to hers. As my skin came into contact with hers, she took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yeah," she breathed, "I'm ready." I nodded and with a low grunt pushed forward. Jackie shrieked and threw her hands up in the air as we went zipping down the slide. We hit the water with a giant 'splash' and when we surfaced Jackie spit a mouthful of water in my face.

"See that wasn't so bad," I said, teasing her about her previous fear of using the water slide for the Yelnats' new pool. She rolled her eyes at me, her hair floating around her in ripples.

"Hey, God never meant for us to travel at such break neck speeds into water," she said defensively. I rolled my eyes as we neared the steps and splashed her in the face. For a second the look of surprise on her face was priceless. Then her eyes narrowed and she smirked.

"You are so dead," she threatened. I laughed, jumping out of the pool, with her hot on my heals. We skidded around the water's edge Jackie always right behind me.

"Guy's no running near the pool," Squid yelled from his floating bed in the middle of the pool. He had sunglasses on his face and a drink in his hand.

"Yeah, you're splashin me," Magnet complained as we passed him. Jackie laughed as she tripped and fell into my back. I reached out and wrapped my arms around her exposed middle. Hoisting her over my shoulder I tickled her sides before tossing her into the pool. Thoroughly soaking Squid. Jackie screamed the entire time.

"Come on everybody," Mrs. Yelnats yelled, making us all turn to her. I crouched down by the pool to pull Jackie out just as the woman came to stand by me. "The commercials about to start! Hurry, hurry!"

I grabbed Jackie and hauled her up out of the pool. The rest of the guys were already starting to hurry inside, grabbing towels as they went. Jackie and I slipped around the edge of the pool o the way to the back door.

"I need a towel," Jackie said turning. I grabbed her around the waist and kept shuffling to Caveman's new house.

"No time," I laughed as she slipped through my hold. We slid into the Yelnats' living room and started scouting for a spot. The couch was totally occupied and all chairs were filled. The commercial started and Jackie huffed, pulling me down to the floor near the foot of the couch. She moved onto my lap and we both fell silent to watch the commercial.

A year ago I never would've thought any of this was possibly. Twelve months ago I was getting busted for setting my school on fire and now I was sitting in one of the biggest houses I'd ever seen, surrounded by my friends and Clyde Livingston, and with my hot girlfriend sitting on my lap in a tiny bikini. This was like a crazy dream I never wanted to end.

The commercial ended and everyone cheered, but me. I was lost in my own thoughts. Jackie leaned against me and I bent my head over her shoulder to kiss her neck.

"What're you thinking about?" she breathed into my ear making me shiver. I shook my head, making water droplets fall onto her flat belly.

"Nothing," I sighed happily. Jackie chuckled and leaned away from me slightly so she could look me in the eyes. She smiled knowingly and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Some summer, huh?" she said lowly, as everyone started moving back out to the pool.

I smiled, shaking my head again. "You have no idea." I leaned and kissed her softly on the mouth. Jacqueline Rivers had single handedly made this the best summer of my life, and if given the chance I'd live it all over again. Right from the beginning.

THE END

* * *

**Yayayayayayay!!!! I'm finally finished! I thought it would be nice to end it with Zigzag since it started with Jackie and now it's sort of come full circle :D This story has been fantastic to write and the reviewers have been awesome! You guys definitely win the Best Reviewers in the World Award! **_**-loud applause- woooh! **_**Feel free to make a little speech but please keep it under 3 minutes or I'll have to turn the commercial music on to cut you out. :DDD anyway you all have been totally AWESOME and I'm so happy this could be my first completed full length fic.**

**You like me!! You really like me!!! -happy tears-**

**Thanks soooo much for reading!!!  
****~Monica :D**


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